IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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1.25 


tM    *23 


150 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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D 
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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

Covei'^  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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10X 

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tails 

du 
odifier 

une 
mage 


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conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


irrata 
to 


pelure, 
n  d 


n 

32X 


Or.ginal  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
Lrtfginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
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shall  contain  the  symbol  -^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
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method: 


1 

2 

3 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  filmds  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration,  soil  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
pramidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  dd  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — »-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  §tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  guuche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

^i^ 


l)K.    KRIDTJOK    NA.NSl.N 


^ 


I  'i 


I'l 


THE   "FRAM"   EXPEDITION. 


NANSEN 


IN  THE 


FROZEN  GUOf^LD 

PRECEDED  BY  A  BIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  GREAT  EXPLORER  AND  COPIOUS 

EXTRACTS  FROM  NANSEN'S  "FIRST  CROSSING  OF  GREENLAND  - 

ALSO  AN  ACCOUNT  BY  EIVIND  ASTRUP,  OF  LIFE  AMONG 

PEOPLE  NEAR  THE  POLE,  AND  HIS 

JjurneJ  E.zn$$  ^orthEiTi  Speenland 


WITH 


Lieut.  R.  E.  F»EARY,  U.S.N. 


ARRANGED    AND   EDITED 
By  S.  L.  KERENS,  Cand.  F»hLiL 


FOLLOWED   BY  A   BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE   PRINCIPAL 

earlier  Hrctic  explorations 

FROM  THE  NINTH  CENTURY  TO  THE  PEARY  EXPEDITION,  INCLUDING 

THOSE  OP  CABOT,  FROBISHER,  BERING,  SIR  JOHN   FRANKLIN 

KANE,  HAYES,  HALL,  NORDENSKJOLD,  NARES,  SCHWATKA, 

DeLONG,  GREELY,  and  OTHERS. 

By  JOHN  E.  READ. 

Assistant  Editor  0/  thf  "Columbian  Cyclopedia." 


PROFUSELY   ILLUSTRATED. 


WkYERlY  PUBLISHING  CO., 

LAKESIDE  BUILDING, 

CHICAGO,  ILLS. 


91(09/) 


Copyright,  1897,  hv  A.  J.  Hooian  &  Co. 


l\ 


PREFACE 


Among  the  subjects  that  are  "old  yet  ever  new,"  that  of  Arctic 
Exploration  holds  a  prominent  place.  It  interested  the  hardy 
Northmen  a  thousand  years  ago,  and  it  has  a  still  stronger  fasci- 
nation for  the  people  of  the  present  day.  It  is  natural  that  this 
should  be  the  case.  The  human  mind  is  so  constituted  that  it  is 
always  seeking  to  learn  about  things  that  lie  beyond  the  immedi- 
ate range  of  its  knowledge.  Among  intelligent  and  progressive 
people  there  is  always  a  desire  to  investigate  and  explore  the 
unknown.  This  is  followed  by  efforts  to  secure  the  knowledge 
for  which  a  wish  has  been  formed.  In  the  case  of  Arctic  Explo- 
ration, the  desire  to  know  whether  there  were  islands  or  conti- 
nents beyond  the  narrow  range  of  their  vision  led  the  pioneers 
in  this  great  work  t-^  sail  upon  unknown  seas.  Probably  a  love 
of  adventure  also  urged  them  on,  but  this  could  hardly  have  been 
the  leading  motive  in  their  dangerous  voyages.  At  a'  early 
period  in  the  history  of  such  enterprises  the  commercial  spirit 
became  a  factor,  and  in  later  days  the  love  of  scientific  investiga- 
tion was  added  to  the  other  elemr  •«-s  in  the  combination  of  forces 
which  led  men  to  brave  the  dai.^  -^  and  endure  the  hardships 
inseparable  from  the  work  of  Arctic  .  xploration. 

The  latest  of  the  great  Arctic  explorers  to  reach  his  home  is 
Dr.  Fridtjof  Nansen,  a  young  Norwegian  scientist,  who  went 
much  farther  north  than  man  had  ever  been,  farther  even  than 
the  companion  who  accompanied  him  to  latitude  86°  14'.  In 
Europe  and  America  he  is  the  hero  of  the  day.  His  accurate 
knowledge,  wonderful  foresight,  marvellous  skill,  splendid  execu- 
tive ability,  magnificent  courage,  and  unconquerable  determina- 
tion carried  him  to  a  success  far  greater  than  any  of  his  prede- 
cessors were  able  to  secure.  It  is  fitting  that  the  record  of  his 
brilliant  achievements  should  be  given  to  the  public  in  a  handsome 
and  a  permanent  form.  With  this  end  in  view  the  present  book 
has  been  prepared.  It  also  seemed  desirable  that  it  should  con- 
tain a  biography  of  Dr.  Nansen  and  an  account  of  his  work,  much 
of  which  was  vahiable,  previous  to  the  great  exploit  which  brought 


ii 


PREFACE 


him  world-wide  fame.  Thus  the  people  could  be  brought  to 
know  the  man  as  well  as  to  learn  of  his  deeds.  In  order  to  add 
still  further  to  its  interest  and  make  it  not  only  an  entertaining 
but  also  a  permanently  valuable  book,  it  was  decided  to  add  other 
features.  The  <;ieat  journey  across  the  inland  ice  of  Greenlaml 
by  Lieutenant  Peary,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  l-jvind 
Astrup,  is  fully  described,  and  a  sketch  is  given  of  the  Second 
I'eary  E.xpedition.  The  concluding  portion  of  the  book  is  a 
connected  sketch  of  the  principal  expeditions  to  the  North  from 
tiieir  earliest  date  down  to  the  time  of  the  ones  just  described. 
Thus  the  iMitire  historical  period  of  Arctic  Ivxploration  to  the 
return  of  Nansen  and  the  Lvaui  in  1896  has  been  covered. 

The  materials  for  this  work  have  been  obtained  from  the  best 
sources,  and  their  arranger.ient  has  received  careful  attention. 
The  biography  of  Dr.  Nansen  and  a  description  of  the  planning 
and  executing  of  the  great  journey  across  Greenland  were  mainly 
written  by  two  eminent  Norwegian  scholars,  Professor  W.  C. 
lirogger  and  Professor  Nordahl  Rolfsen,  both  intimate  friends  of 
the  great  explorer.  The  story  of  the  Crossing  of  the  Iiihuul  Ice 
is  related  by  Nansen  himself,  while  several  of  the  following  chap- 
ters were  prepared  by  his  Norwegian  friends.  Tlie  description 
of  the  Voyage  of  the  Frnin,  of  the  Great  Sledge  ICxpcdition  and 
its  wonderful  success,  and  of  the  return  of  the  explorers,  is  given 
in  Nansen's  own  words.  Across  Northern  Greenland,  an  account 
of  the  e.xpedition  of  Lieutenant  Peary,  is  by  Eivind  Astrup,  an 
entertaining  writer  and  famous  exi)lorer  who  accompanied  Peary 
in  the  perilous  journey  to  the  extreme  northern  portion  of  that 
desolate  land.  In  the  preparation  of  the  history  of  the  P!arlier 
Arctic  Ivxplorations  the  works  of  the  best  writers  upon  the  sub- 
ject were  consulted.  Where  discrepancies  were  found,  as  they 
were  in  several  instances,  the  evidence  was  carefully  weighed  and 
the  statements  which  seemed  to  have  the  strongest  claim  for 
accuracy  were  accepted.  Of  the  more  than  one  hundred  illustra- 
tions, many  of  them  full-page,  which  not  only  add  to  the  beauty 
of  the  book  but  greatly  increase  its  utility,  a  large  number  are 
from  photographs  taken  upon  the  spot  and  are  absolutely  perfect 
representations  of  the  scenes  which  they  place  before  the  eye 
For  several  of  these  illustrations  we  are  under  obligations  to  Mr. 
Alfred  C.  Harmsworth,  patron  of  the  Jackson-Harmsworth  Ex- 
pedition, and  some  were  obtained  from  Nansen's  •'  Pram  Over 


PREFACE 


iii 


i\cn 
)unt 

an 
;arv 
:hat 

licr 
sub- 

hcy 
and 

foi- 
st ra- 
autv 

are 
•feet 
eye. 

Mr. 

Ex- 

>ver 


I'olhavet,"  published  in  Norway.  Mes.srs.  H()iiL,hton,  Mifflin  & 
Company  and  'i'iie  Lothrop  I'uhlisliiiij;  Company  kindly  fmnished 
several  portraits  ;  the  publishers  of  MeClure's  Ma_i;a/.ine  allowed 
the  use  of  a  number  of  fine  plates,  and  thr»)U^h  the  courte.sy  of 
Dr.  Robert  N.  Keely,  sur^^eon  to  I'eary's  First  Kxpedition,  and 
Dr.  Gwilym  G.  Davis,  member  of  the  Archx()l()j;ieal  Assoeiation 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  many  extremely  beautiful 
sketches  antl  ph()toi;raphs  are  |.;iven. 

The  inveslij^alion  of  the  cheerless  rej^ion  of  the  North  has 
been  attended  by  constant  danj^er  and  has  iuNoKed  heavy  losses 
of  life  and  property.  Hut  tlie  work  has  not  been  done  in  v.iin. 
It  opened  the  way  for  the  formation  of  colonies,  for  the  develop- 
ment of  commerce,  for  extensive  and  profitable  whale  and  seal 
fislieries,  and  has  <ijreatly  enlar^^ed  the  bounds  of  human  know- 
ledire.  Not  onlv  iias  there  been  an  enormous  advance  in  the  line 
of  j;eographical  information,  but  much  has  been  learned  rci^ardin^;' 
ideology,  meteorology,  zoology,  and  kindred  sciences.  Work  in 
this  direction  has  also  made  known  to  civilized  nations  a  most 
interesting  race  of  people  who  not  only  live,  but  who  appear  to 
fully  enjoy  life,  in  a  region  of  jierpetual  snow  and  ice.  Then,  too, 
the  heroism,  fortitude  and  fidelity  of  the  noble  men  who,  at  the 
imminent  risk  of  their  lives,  have  gone  to  this  inhospitable  region 
and  in  the  face  of  appalling  dangers,  and  while  enduring  most 
terrible  sufferings,  have  struggled  on  in  order  that  they  might 
open  to  the  civilized  world  the  vast  domain  which  had  so  long 
remained  unknown,  have  b6cn  object  lessons  of  faith  and  hope  to 
all  the  world.  And  ns  long  as  courage  is  admired,  devotion  to 
duty  is  respected,  and  self-sacrifice  is  revered,  so  long  will  the 
deeds  of  the  heroes  who  have  toiled  amid  the  awful  drjariness 
and  desolation  of  the  Frozen  V^orld  be  held  in  honored  remem- 
l)rance. 

l-'urther  progress  in  Arctic  Exploration  will  involve  difficulty 
and  danger,  but  the  end  is  not  yet.  What  has  been  accomplished 
will  stimulate  to  renewed  effort,  and  the  knowledge  that  has  been 
gained  in  the  past  will  greatly  aid  in  the  future  prosecution  of  the 
work.  The  genius  and  energy  of  man  are  pitted  against  the 
barriers  of  nature,  and  soonsr  or  later  nature  will  be  compelled  to 
reveal  her  secrets  to  his  gaze.  Those  who  are  inclined  to  doubt 
the  probability  of  carrying  further  an  investigation  of  the  Arctic 
region  should  be  encouraged  by  the  fact  that  many  things  which 


iv 


PREFACE 


were  long  deemed  impossible  have  been  accomplished  and  that 
the  future  may  be  expected  to  bring  as  great  surprises  as  the  past 
has  given.  A  curious  illustration  of  the  uncertainty  of  predic- 
tions regarding  the  success  ot  Arctic  Ivxploration  is  found  in  the 
book  of  an  able  ICnglish  writer.  The  preface  of  this  work  was 
dated  March  25,  i<S50,  a  time  at  which  interest  in  the  fate  of  Sir 
John  l''ranklin  was  at  its  height.  'l"he  last  words  of  the  book 
express  a  hope  that  "  I*jigland  will  be  careful  of  again  risking  the 
lives  of  her  adventurous  sons  in  further  attempts  to  discover 
what  cannot  be  looked  upon  in  any  other  light  than  that  of  a 
geographical  ileitis  fntiiiis^Thi^  Northwest  I'assage."  Yet  from 
documents  which  were  afterward  found  it  was  proved  that  the 
Franklin  expedition  had  discovered  this  passage  not  less  than 
three  years  before  its  non-existence  was  so  emphatically  affirmed. 
During  the  last  half  century  great  advances  along  the  line  of 
Arctic  Exploration  have  been  made  and  interest  has  Waxed  instead 
of  waned.  T^ach  new  discovery  seems  to  stimulate  to  still  stronger 
endeavor,  and  public  interest  in  the  subject  was  never  as  high  as 
it  is  at  the  present  time.  Projects  of  various  kinds  are  being 
considered  and  preparations  for  further  efforts  are  under  way. 
Which  of  the  various  plans  proposed  will  lead  to  success,  or 
whether  one  radically  different  from  any  that  have  been  sug- 
gested will  be  required,  cannot  be  affirmed.  But  it  is  safe  to  say 
that,  sooner  or  later,  the  great  Arctic  problem  will  be  solved. 
The  work  will  be  carried  on  until  the  region  at  the  North  that  is 
now  unknown  has  been  explored  and' a  flag  has  been  unfurled 
upon  the  precise  spot  which  geographers  designate  as  the  Pole. 


CONTENTS 


CHAl-TBR 

I.  Ancestry  — Childhood        .        .        .  '*°o 

II.  YoL'TH ".'.'.'      24 

III.  Nanskn's     CIkrknland     Expedition  —  Pkkpakation — 

Plan  —  K(,)UII'mi:.nt _. 

IV.  Across  Greenland ,., 

V.   Drifting  in  thk  Ue .78 

VI.   An  Eskimo  Encami-.ment  on  iiik  East  Coast        .        .      86 
VII.  TiiK  CRossiN(i  OF  THK  Ini.ani)    Ick  — Thk   First  Sight 

OK  Land  and  First  Urink  of  Watkr  .        .        .        .113 

VIII.   Thk  Dkscknt  to  Amkralikfjord 136 

IX.   Arrival  at  Godthaah , ,. 

X.   With  the  Current _  '     ,7^ 

XI.     NaNSKN    at    HoMK   and    AllROAD i,S8 

XII,   On  Board  thk  '•  Fram  " 218 

NANSEN'S    STORY   AS    TOLD    UY   HIMSELF 

XIII.  Introduction 

XIV.  Thk  VovAOK  OF  THK  "Fram"         .        .        .        ,    '        "    357 
XV.  Thk  Great  Sledge  Expedition         .        ....    271 

XVI.   Ho.MKWARD  Hound ^/ 

XVII.   How  THE  "Fram"  fared  — SvERDRup's  Storv       .    '   .  302 

PEARY'S    JOURNEY   ACROSS   NORTHERN    GREENLAND 

XVIII.   Winter  Quarters  and  Preparations  .        .  ^2% 

XIX.   Across  the  Ice  Cap 330 

XX.  The  Second  Peary  Expedition     ,        .        .  lly 

XXI.   Natives  at  Smith  Sound    .        .  •        .       .  jv 

XXII.   Hunting '    .    '    .    '        "        ' 

XXIII.  The  North  Greenland  Dog      .        .        .        .  '  30? 

XXIV.  Home  Life,  Habits  and  Character     ....  406 
XXV.   Intelligence,  Religious  Ideas  and  Customs        .        .  421 

EARLIER   ARCTIC   EXPLORATIONS 

XXVI.    Pioneer  Voyages ..j 

XXVII.   Interest  renewed  ^r^ 

XXVIII.   Heroic  Endeavors    .        .".'.'.".'.'.■  477 

XXIX.  Great  Disasters '        "        *  Z^l 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dr.  F'ridtjof  Nansen 

Hans  Nansen 

Baron  Christian  V.  V.  Wedel-Jarisl^erg  (Nansen's  Craiul 
Baroness  C.  F.  V.  Wedcl-Jarlsberg  (Nansen's  (uT.ndmotl 
Fridtjof  Nansen  and  his  Father         .... 

Nansen's  Mothsr 

Great  Frcien  —  The  Dwelling-house  .... 

Nansen  as  a  Child 

Nansen  as  a  Boy 

In  the  Polar  Sea 

The  Members  of  the  Greenland  Expedition 
Sverdrup  on  Guard  on  the  Ice  Floe       .... 
Under  Sail  in  tlie  i\K)onlight —  Creva  ;ses  ahead 
Nansen  and  Sverdrup  in  tlie  Canvas  Boat     . 

Nansen  at  Thirty-one 

Tailpiece  :  Head  of  Walrus 

The  Eskimo  Encampment  at  Cape  Bille   . 

Eskimo  Beauty,  from  the  East  Coa.st,  in  her  Old  Age  . 

Eskimo  Boy,  from  the  Camp  at  Cape  faille 

Eskimos,  from  the  Camp  at  Cape  Bille 

"  An  unusually  sociable  woman  "        .         .         .         . 

"  Tlien  the  master  came  out  of  the  tent  "... 

Canoes  among  the  Floes     ...... 

First  Attempts  at  Sailing 

"  And  there  I  lay  gazing  after  the  ship  and  its  sail "' 

Sailing  on  the  Inland  Ice 

Sailing  hi  Moonlight  .... 
Coasting  down  the  Slopes 
An  Awkward  Predicament 
Roujjhish  Ice  . 

Rest  and  Reflection    .... 
Into  Better  Ice  again      .... 
Upon  the  Brow  of  an  Ice-slope  . 
The  Boat  and  its  Builder 
Shooting  Gulls  from  the  Boat    . 

By  Ameralikfjord 

Bolette  —  Greenland  Woman  of  ?,Iixed  Race 

Nansen  in  1S93 

Nan.sen  on  the  Ice  —  Summer  Dress 
Nansen  on  the  Ice  —  Winter  Dr,;ss 


I''rontisp, 


icce 


father) 

I.e.) 


ai 


iiigp(\ 


ID 
14 

'5 
16 

17 

'9 

20 

21 

32 
54 
5^' 
69 

71 

76 

«5 
86 

97 
98 

lOI 
IDS 

107 
no 
117 
119 
121 

•25 
129 

137 

•39 
140 
141 

'43 
•45 
149 
153 
1 6s 
179 
181 
i83 


LJST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


vn 


lo 

14 

"5 
iT) 

•7 

'9 

20 

21 

32 

54 

5^> 
69 

71 

76 

«5 
86 

97 
98 

lOI 

105 
107 
1 10 
117 
119 


Facing  pa^j^c 
Facing  pa i^c 

Facing  page 
Facing  page 


Facing  page 
Facing  page 

Facing  page 


Kva  Nansen 

Dr.  Nansen 

Nansen's  Home  .... 

Nansen's  Study  at  (Jodthaab 

The  Launch  of  the  "  Fram  " 

Nansen  and  Mrs.  N'in.sen  on  Snow-shoes 

The  "  Fram  "  in  I3erc:en 

Lieutenant  Joliansen        .... 

Kitchen  of  the  •'  Fram  "... 

.Saloon  on  the  ••  Fram  ''  , 

Nansen's  Study  on  the  "  Fram  " 

Colin  Archer,  the  Builder  of  the  •'  Fram  " 

(From  •'  Fram  Over  I'olhavct.") 
The  "Fram"  L-aving  15ergcn,  Nor-.vay,  for  the  Arctic  Regions 

(From  "  F'ram  Over  Polhavet.') 
Members  of  the  Norwegian  Tolar  K-ocdition,  1893-96 

(From  "Fruin  Over  I'olhavct.") 
(Outline  Draught  of  the  "Fram"        .... 

(From  "  Fram  Over  J--ilIiavet.") 
The ''Fram'' in  the  Ice-pack 

(By  courtesy  of  McCliire  s  Ma'^azine.) 
Playing  Cards  on  Board  the  "  Fram" 

(From  "F'ram  Over  Polhavet." ) 
Crew  of  the  '•  Fram  "  when  Nansen  and  Johansen  left  the 

^''■P Facim^pa^e 

(F-rom  "  Fram  Over  Polhavet.") 

Dr.  Nansen  and  Lieutenant  Johansen  L-aving  the  "F'ram" 

Hunting  Walrus  on  the  East  Coast  of  Taimyr  Peninsula       Facing  page 

(From  "  Fram  Over  I'olliavet.") 
Toward  the  South  :  Nansen  and  Johansen  Homeward  bound, 

May  I,  1S96 Facing pa^^e 

(F-rom  "  Fram  Over  Polhavet.") 
Meeting  of  Dr.  Nansen  and  Mr.  Jackson  in  Franz  Josef  Land,  June,  1896 

(By  permission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Ilarmsvvorth.) 
Dr.  Nansen  in  Franz  Josef  Land,  June  189^) 

(By  permission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth.) 
Captain  Otto  Neumann  Sverdrup  ....  Facinc paire 

The  "  Fram  "  in  the  Harbor  of  Christiania  after  her  Return     , 
Nansen's  Reception  at  Christiania,  September  9,  1S96  Facinf; pa<^e 

Lieutenant  Robert  E.  Peary,  U.  S.  N.        .  "^ 

Eivind  Astrup 

Our  First  Bear 

Ice-pack  in  Melville  Bay 

The  "  Kite  "  at  Melville  Bay      .         .         . 

Peary's  House  and  Tent 

Iceberg  off  Cape  Cleveland,  McCormick  Bay 

Separation  of  Ice  Floes  .... 

Peary  and  his  Companions 

The  Midnight  Sun  .... 

A  Specimen  of  Greenland  Flora 


Facing  page 
Facing  page 


188 

190 

'97 
198 

202 
21 1 
219 
224 
230 

233 
237 
244 

246 

249 


264 


Facing  page 


274 

2.S2 


28S 

293 
297 

302 

3  4 
316 
321 
324 
324 
326 

326 
335 
33''> 
33« 
340 
340 
346 


viii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Musk  Ox 349 

The  Relief  Party  meeting  l^eary  and  Astrup      .         .         .     Facing pa^e  350 

Peary  and  Astrup  hoisting  Flags  on  Navy  Cliff 356 

Young  Eskimo  Girls  and  Native  Hut  at  Godhavn 358 

The  "  Falcon  "  among  Icebergs I'acing page  358 

Walrus  taking  a  Sun  Bath I'acing page  360 

Sea-birds 364 

Watching  for  Seal 371 

Sledge  from  Smith  Sound 373 

I'.skimo  Fox-trap 374 

IJear  attacking  Seal 375 

Different  Weapons  and  Implements Facing  page  3S0 

Attacking  a  Walrus Facing  page  384 

A  Group  of  Seals Facing  page  386 

Shooting  Seals 389 

Reindeer 391 

Gate'  ing  Auks  with  a  Net 393 

A  F;    orite  Dog 395 

Dog  harness 397 

Dogs  of  Northern  Greenland Facing  page  400 

A  Group  of  Pups 405 

Eskimo  Boy 406 

An  Eskimo  House  in  Winter 407 

Stone  Huts  or  Igloos  —  taken  at  Midnight 409 

Cape  York,  Smith  Sound  —  Eskimo  Sleds  on  the  Ice   .         .         .         .  411 

Interior  of  Hut 413 

Sir  John  Franklin Facing  page  441 

Martin  Frobisher 447 

Henrv  (irinnell 479 

Dr.  E.  K.  Kane 483 

Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes 489 

C.  F.  Hall 493 

A.  E.  Nordenskjold 505 

Lieutenant  G.  W.  De  Long,  U.  S.  N 517 

Com.  George  W.  Melville,  U.  S.  N 520 

Tailpiece:  Polar  Bear 531 

MAPS 

Map  of  Greenland Facing  page  146 

Map  of  Projected  and  Actual  Routes  of  the  "  Fram  "  and 

Course  of  Sledge  Expedition Facing  page  266 

(By  courtesy  of  McClure's  Magazine.) 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


CHAPTER    I 


ANCESTRY CHILDHOOD 


Hans  Nansen,  Fridtjof  Nansen's  ancestor,  born  No- 
vember 28,  1598,  in  Flensburg,  had  as  a  sixteen  years 
old  lad  gone  to  the  White  Sea  in  his  uncle's  ship  —  in 
those  days  quite  an  adventurous  enterprise.  They  had 
practically  no  charts,  they  were  scantily  supplied  with 
instruments,  and  they  had  to  keep  cannon  and  cutlasses 
in  readiness.  In  the  course  of  the  voyage,  indeed,  they 
had  been  twice  overhauled  and  plundered  by  the  Eng- 
lish. Now  they  were  fast  in  the  ice  at  Kola.  But  the 
intelligent  boy,  eager  for  knowledge,  did  not  permit  him- 
self to  be  depressed.  He  employed  the  time  in  learning 
Russian,  and  in  the  summer,  when  the  uncle  bent  his 
course  southward  again,  his  nephew  did  not  accompany 
him.  He  preferred  to  stay  behind  and  learn  more.  He 
travelled  alone  "  through  several  districts  of  Russia  to 
the  town  of  Kuwantz."  From  Kuwantz  he  took  ship  in 
September  for  Copenhagen. 

His  character  came  early  to  maturity,  and  his  powers 
could  not  brook  inaction.  He  had  not  completed  his 
twenty-first  year  when  King  Christian  IV.  placed  him  at 
the  head  of  an  expedition  to  the  rich  fur  regions  about 


lO 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


the  Petschora.  But  the  ice  was  too  much  for  him.  He 
had  to  m.ake  up  his  mind  to  winter  at  Kola.  Here  he 
received  a  commission  from  the  Czar  of  Russia,  and 
undertook,  by  imperial  order,  an  exploration  of  the  coast 


HANS    NANSEN 


of  the  White  Sea.     Not  until  he  reached  Archangel  did 
he  rejoin  his  ship. 

After  that  he  held  a  command  for  eighteen  seasons  in 
the  service  of  the  Iceland  Company.  He  was  by  nature  a 
keen  observer  and  a  born  leader  of  men,  full  of  alert  prac- 
ticality, and  yet  with  a  strong  literary  bent.  And  he  was 
eminently  disposed  to  share  with  others  the  fruits  of  his 


NANSEN'S  ANCESTRY  AND    CHILDHOOD 


1 1 


reading.  "  When  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,"  he  writes, 
"  I  copied  out  extracts  from  the  Bible,  and  from  various 
Cosmographical  and  geographical  works,  to  serve  as  an 
index  and  commonplace-book  for  future  reference.  .  .  . 
And  when,  a  little  while  ago,  I  read  it  through  again,  1 
thought  that  perhaps  there  might  be  others  who  would 
be  glad  to  know  these  things,  but  who,  on  account  of 
other  occupations  and  so  forth,  had  neither  time  nor 
opportunity  to  study  the  great  works  on  cosmography. 
For  the  benefit  of  such  persons  I  have  given  to  the 
press  this  brief  digest."  The  title  ran :  "  Compendiuni 
Cosmographicum ;  being  a  short  description  of  the  en- 
tire earth,  etc.  Treating,  furthermore,  of  the  sea  and  of 
navigation,  with  certain  serviceable  directions  thereto 
appertaining." 

The  "  Compendium  Cosmographicum  "  became  a  pop- 
ular handbook,  so  much  read  by  seafaring  men  and 
others,  that  four  editions  were  exhausted  in  the  author's 
lifetime.  Indeed,  we  gather  that  up  to  a  few  years  ago  it 
had  not  quite  gone  out  of  use.  The  copy  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  Nansen  family  came,  according  to  a 
well-authenticated  tradition,  direct  from  a  skipper  who 
sailed  by  it.  Inside  the  old  cover,  the  late  owner  of  the 
book  has  inscribed  the  following  testimonial :  — 

"  This  book  is  of  great  use  to  seafaring  folk.  Ote 
Borgersen  A  as,  1841." 

Thus  the  handbook  of  the  gallant  old  Arctic  skipper 
may  be  said  to  have  done  service  down  to  the  very  thresh- 
old of  the  time  when  his  descendant  was  preparing  to 
add  new  "  courses "  to  those  he  had  so  diligently  laid 
down  — "  courses  "  across  Greenland  and  to  the  North 
Pole. 


T 


12 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


At  the  age  of  forty,  Hans  Nansen  begins  to  rise  in  the 
world ;  and  soon  he  exchanges  the  command  of  a  ship's 
crew  for  that  of  the  burghers  of  Copenhagen.  He  first 
became  town  councillor,  then  one  of  the  four  burgo- 
masters, and  in  1654  he  held  the  chief  place  among  the 
four.  Shrewd,  ready-witted,  eloquent,  accustomed  to 
command,  and  endowed  with  a  firm  will  and  invincible 
energy,  he  seemed  specially  created  to  take  part,  and  a 
leading  part,  in  the  critical  times  which  followed. 

In  1658  the  Swedish  king,  Karl  Gustav,  declared  war 
and  invaded  Zealand.  The  Estates  met  at  the  Palace, 
the  royal  message  was  read,  and  the  king  addressed  them 
in  person.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Hans  Nansen  to  answer 
that  the  burghers  "  would  stand  by  the  king  through 
thick  and  thin,"  and  the  populace  behind  him  shouted 
their  assent.  Not  only  was  the  integrity  of  their  native 
land  at  stake,  but  civic  freedom  and  independence  as 
well.  On  the  following  day,  the  loth  of  August  1658, 
the  Privy  Council  was  obliged  to  issue  a  proclamation 
"  which  was  as  good  as  a  patent  of  nobility  to  all  the  mer- 
chants and  handicraftsmen  of  Copenhagen."  Karl  Gustav 
understood  its  significance.  "  Since  the  burghers  have 
obtained  such  privileges,"  he  exclaimed,  "  no  doubt  they  '11 
stand  a  tussle."  And  during  this  "  tussle "  the  leading 
burgomaster  of  Copenhagen  had  no  peace  either  by  day 
or  night.  Earthworks  had  to  be  constructed,  ditches 
filled,  provisions  laid  in,  soldiers  quartered,  the  burghers 
drilled  and  commanded,  and  public  order  preserved  in  the 
midst  of  a  concourse  of  people  crowding  into  the  city 
from  every  side.  "  We  find  him  now  at  home,  opening 
his  plate  chest  and  his  money-box,  placing  great  sums  at 
the  king's  dii     "^al,  lending  him  his  carriage  and  horses, 


NANSEN'S  ANCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD 


>3 


and  all  the  time  doing  his  best  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of 
his  own  family;  now  in  the  Town  Hall  sitting  in  council 
or  on  the  bench;  now  in  the  Chamber,  now  with  the 
king ;  then  again  at  a  regimental  inspection,  or  on  the 
fire-watch  tower,  or  at  the  outworks,  with  the  bullets 
picking  men  off  on  every  side;  now  listening  to  the  ser- 
mons which  were  preached  on  the  ramparts,  now  going 
the  rounds  with  the  night  patrol."  And  when  it  comes 
to  meeting  the  enemy  outside  the  fortifications,  the  inde- 
fatigable burgomaster  is  still  in  the  van. 

It  is  certain  that  there  are  remarkable  points  of  simi- 
larity between  the  old  burgomaster  and  his  grandson's 
grandson's  grandson. 

It  would  seem  as  though  Fridtjof  Nansen  himself  were 
conscious  of  this  hereditary  strain  in  his  character.  In 
one  of  his  letters  to  his  father,  he  speaks  of  the  Nansen 
pride,  which  in  his  case,  when  occasion  demands,  takes 
the  form  of  an  adamantine  stubbornness. 

But  this  pride  does  not  descend  to  him  on  the  male 
side  alone ;  through  his  mother  he  inherits  the  blood  of 
the  Wedels. 

Count  Herman  Wedel-Jarlsberg,  the  famous  political 
leader  of  1814,  afterwards  Viceroy  (Statholder)  of  Nor- 
way, had  a  younger  brother,  Baron  Christian  Frederik 
Vilhelm  of  Fornebo,  whose  daughter  was  the  mother  of 
Fridtjof  Nansen.  Thus,  if  pride  and  spirit  of  adventure 
may  be  said  to  lie  at  the  root  of  the  father's  family-tree, 
every  branch  of  the  mother's  bears  evidence  of  the  same 
qualities. 

A  few  words  more  about  the  Nansen  family.  Hans 
Nansen,  Municipal  President,  Privy  Councillor,  and  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  died  at  Copenhagen,  November  12, 


•4 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


1667.  A  daughter  of  liis  eldest  son,  Michael  Nansen,  was 
married  to  the  celebrated  P(;ter  Griffenfeld.  A  younger 
son,  Hans  Nansen,  was  Municipal  President  of  Copen- 
hagen at  the  time  of  his  death  in  17 18.  His  grandson 
was  Ancher  Anthony  Nansen,  w^ith  whom  the  male  line 


1 

..  '.■^'"'y'^- 

,l^tet'-- 

,,  J^Ok 

H|.'fWt>4 ..  .^  ^^yiiA|d||l|^^^H 

'iL.ti^^^HP^'^^'iH 

JB'  "  ''^'''^^^^^^^^ 

^^■k'i^'^Ptt 

^H                            **1H^^^^^^^^^^^I 

^iM''%» 

■                ' ' "'  "n^^Hto 

■  '^SL^^ 

•»' 

'^*&^y-;'^i.-::{L\ 

V                   Y 

u  . 

.-.  J'  '      V,..  i: 

BARON    CHRISTIAN    F.    V.    WEDEL-JARLSBERG    (nANSEN'S   GRANDFATHER) 


removed  to  Norway.  In  1761  he  became  district  magis- 
trate of  Outer  Sogn,  and  there  married  a  lady  of  the 
name  of  Leierdahl,  a  member  of  the  Geelmuyden  family. 
His  only  son  was  called  Hans  Leierdahl  Nansen,  who  in 


NA.XSEN'S  ANCE^iT/iV  AXD   CHILD JI 00 D 


>5 


ScptcMii1)cr,  ivSoQ,  Ijccamc  juclcijc  in  Guldalen.and  later  rep- 
resentative for  Stavanger  district  in  Storthinget.  lie  was 
divorced  from  his  first  wife  and  married  again,  1810,  a 
daughter  of  court-printer  Mbller  of  Copenhagen.  They 
were  Fridtjof  Nansen's  grandfather  and  grandmother. 


HARONESS   C.    F.    V.    WEDEL-JARLSBERG    (NANSEN'S    GRANDMOTHER) 

Fridtjof's  father,  Baldur  Fridtjof  Nansen,  was  born  in 
Kgersund  in  181 7.  After  the  death  of  his  father  in  the 
twenties,  Baldur  Nansen's  mother  removed  from  Egersund 
to  Stavanger,  for  the  sake  of  her  son's  education.     Here 


i6 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


she  lived  till  1^35,  when  he  matriculated  at  the  University 
of  Christiania. 

"  He  was  industrious,"  says  an   intimate  friend  of  the 

Nansen  family  in  a 
letter,  "  well  -  behaved 
and  exemplary  in 
every  respect.  His 
abilities  were  not  bril- 
liant, but,  being  strict- 
ly and  plainly  brought 
up,  and  stimulated  by 
the  influence  of  his 
clever  mother,  he 
passed  all  his  exami- 
nations with  a  certain 
distinction,  and  be- 
came an  accomplished 
jurist.  He  had  none 
of  his  parents'  wit  and 
fancy;  but  he  was 
noted  for  his  thor- 
oughly refined,  amiable,  and  courteou''  manners  and  dis- 
position." 

He  became  Reporter  to  the  Supreme  Court;  but  he 
was  principally  employed  in  finance  and  conveyancing. 
He  enjoyed  unbounded  confidence. 

Baldur  Nansen's  first  wife  was  the  daughter  of  Major- 
General  Sorensen,  and  sister  to  the  wife  of  the  poet  Jorgen 
Moe.  His  second  wife  (Fridtjof's  mother)  was  Adelaide 
Johanna  Isidora,  nee  Wedel-Jarlsberg,  who  also  had  been 
married  before.  Mrs.  Adelaide  Nansen  is  described  as  a 
tall  and  stately  lady,  capable  and  resolute,  even-tempered 


KRIDTJOF    NANSKN    AND    HIS    FATHKR 


i 


NAXSEN'S  ANCESTRY"  AXD   Cin/.D/fOOD 


•7 


.    I 


and  straightforward,  without  any  pretension  on  the  score 
of  birth  and  ancestry.  She  had  a  masculine  will.  It  was 
greatly  against  the  wishes  of  her  strict  and  aristocratic 
father  that  she  married  a  baker's  son  for  her  first  hus- 
band. However,  she  carried  her  point,  and  her  mother 
appears  to  have  sided  with  her  in  this  affair  of  the  heart. 
The  parents  were  not  at  the  marriage,  although  they  had 
sfiven  their  consent. 

As  a  young  girl  she  had  defied  opinion  and  cultivated 
that  sport  which  her  son  was  afterwards  to  render  world- 
famous.  She  was  devoted  to  snow-shoeing,  which  was  at 
that  time  thought  unwomanly  and  even  improper.  As  a 
housewife  she  was  one  of  those  who  know  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  house 
from  attic  to  cellar  —  ac- 
tive, managing,  ready 
with  her  hands  and  not 
afraid  of  the  coarsest 
work.  If  the  servant  had 
blistered  her  fingers,  the 
lady  of  the  house  would 
herself  take  hold  and 
wring  out  the  wet  linen. 
She  worked  in  the  gar- 
den, and  she  made  her 
boys'  clothes.  They  had 
no  other  tailor  until  they 
were  eighteen  years  old. 

Nevertheless,  she  found  time  to  acquire  the  knowledge 
she  had  not  stored  up  in  early  youth.  Her  will  power 
and  love  of  activity,  her  intrepidity,  her  practical  and  reso- 
lute nature,  have  descended  to  her  son. 


nansen's  MOTHKR 


i8 


NAAS/iX  /X  THE  IRQ /.EN   WORLD 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nanscn,  after  tlicir  marriage,  settled 
down  upon  a  small  property  belonging  to  her  at  Great 
I'Voen  in  West  Aker.  Here  I'ridtjof  was  born  on  October 
10,  iiS6i. 

In  the  choice  of  his  birthplace,  his  lucky  star,  as  we 
have  said  before,  had  ordered  things  for  the  best.  Here 
was  country  life,  here  were  cows  and  horses,  geese  and 
hens,  hills  for  snow-shoeing  on  every  side,  great  forests 
close  at  hand,  and,  only  some  two  miles  and  a  half  away, 
an  excellent  school,  one  of  the  best  in  Christiania. 
These  two  miles  and  a  half  were  reckoned  a  mere 
nothinir  in  the  Nanscn  household.  I'irst  to  school  in  the 
morning,  and  back  again,  then,  on  summer  afternoons, 
down  to  the  fortress  to  learn  to  swim  —  that  makes  a 
good  ten  miles  of  a  hot  summer's  day,  to  say  nothing  of 
minor  wanderings.  And  there  were  invariably  fights  by 
the  way  —  systematic  training,  be  it  observed,  from  the 
very  first. 

Froen  farmyard  was  the  scene  of  the  boy's  earliest 
expeditions,  and  it  was  not  Arctic  cold,  but  torrid  heat 
that  first  imperilled  his  life.  One  day  when  he  was  three 
years  old,  and  still  in  frocks,  he  stood  hammering  away  at 
a  wheelbarrow,  no  doubt  trying  to  mend  it,  when,  to  the 
consternation  of  those  in  the  kitchen,  a  column  of  smoke 
was  seen  to  be  rising  from  his  person.  "  He  's  on  fire !  " 
was  the  cry.  Out  rushed  the  housekeeper,  and  tore  his 
clothes  off  his  back.  In  the  course  of  his  wanderings,  he 
had  visited  the  brew-house,  where  some  sparks  from  the 
fire  had  lodged  in  his  petticoats ;  and  behold !  he  was 
within  an  ace  of  being  burnt  to  death  in  blissful  uncon- 
sciousness that  anything  was  amiss. 

The  Frogner  River  flowed  right  past  the  front  door  at 


NANSF.V'S  /INCESTA')'  ,IXD   Clfff  DlfOOP 


'9 


settled 

Great 

ictober 

as  we 
Here 
se  and 
forests 
\  away, 
stiania. 
I   mere 
1  in  the 
rnoons, 
lakes  a 
liinti  of 
L^lUs  by 
om  the 


earl 
id  heat 
IS  three 
away  at 
to  the 
smoke 
1  fire ! " 
ore  his 
ngs,  he 
om  the 
|he  was 
uncon- 

Idoor  at 


^^S 


CKKAr    IKOlCN  —  IHK    I  )\VKI.I.1N( ;  llOUSK 


r^roeti,  and  here  Fridtjof  and  his  younger  l3rotlier  woukl 
batlie  in  the  fresh  of  the  evening,  in  tlie  coklest  j)ool  they 
could  find.  Indeed,  tlie  younger  of  the  two  woukl  some- 
times nearly  perish  with  the  cold,  so  that  after  coming  out 
of  the  water  he  had  to  be  dragged  about  at  a  brisk  trot,  in 
the  costume  which  preceded  all  fashions  and  modes  of 
dress,  in  order  to  keep  life  and  warmth  in  his  body. 

Into  this  same   river  they  fell   through  the  ice  in  the 

winter,  and  when  their  mother  appeared  on  the  scene  she 

ound  Fridtjof  in  the  act  of  fishing  his  brother  out.    And 

it  was  in  the  Frogner  River  that  Fridtjof  himself  came 

near  losing  his  life. 

But  it  also  presented  a  peaceful  means  of  livelihood. 


30 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


t 


They  selected  from  among  the  pea-sticks  those  made  of 
juniper,  rolled   their  trousers  well  up,  and  went  digging 

among  the  decayed  leaves  in 
the  garden  for  bait,  which 
they  stored  in  the  turned-up 
portion  of  their  breeches. 
Then  they  went  and  fished 
for  trout  or  minnows.  Now 
and  then  the  hook  would  go 
astray  and  stick  fast  in  Fridt- 
jof's  under  lip ;  whereupon 
Mrs.  Nansen  would  have  re- 
course to  father's  razor,  make 
a  resolute  incision  and  extract 
the  foreign  body.  No  fuss  or 
pother  on  either  side.  Not 
so  much  as  a  sound. 

Here  at  Froen  he  first  ran 
his  head  against  the  ice  — 
the  rough  ice  in  the  yard. 
When  the  little  five-year-old  rushed  into  tho  kitchen,  there 
was  scarcely  a  white  spot  left  on  his  face,  for  the  blood 
that  trickled  down  it.  He  would  not  shed  a  tear,  and  was 
only  afraid  of  being  scolded.  But  from  that  day  to  this 
he  wears  his  first  ice-medal  in  the  shape  of  a  scar. 

They  hunted  squirrels  with  dog  and  bow.  "  Storm,"  the 
dog,  would  chase  the  squirrels  up  trees,  where  the  little 
creatures  found  a  tolerably  secure  asylum  ;  for  the  arrows 
never  hit  them.  Finally,  Fridtjof,  inspired  by  Indian  tales, 
hit  upon  a  devilish  device  which  he  thought  must  prove 
fatal.  He  anointed  the  arrow-head  with  the  juice  of  a 
poisonous   mushroom,  so   that  a  wound   from  it  meant 


NANSEN    AS   A   CHILD 


NANSEA'S  ANCESTRY  AM)    CHILDHOOD 


21 


certain  death.  But  the  arrows  someliow  did  no  more  ex- 
ecution, although  he  also  tipped  them  with  melted  lead 
to  make  them  cany  better. 

After  that  he  took  to  a  new  variety  of  weapon  — 
cannons.  He  stuffed  them  to  the  muzzle  with  powder, 
but  could  not  get  it  to  ignite.  Then  he  made  a  maroon, 
and  poked  it  about  so  much  that  it  exploded  in  his  face. 
The  cannon  ultimately  burst ;  and  it  was  again  his 
mother's  task  to  take  him  aside  and  pick  out  the  powder 
grain  by  grain. 

He  himself  tells  the  story  of  his  first  snow-shoes,  and 
his  first  great  leap  :  — 

"  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  very  first  pair  of  all  —  they 
were  precious  poor  ones,  cut 
down  from  cast-off  snow- 
shoes  which  had  belonged 
to  my  brothers  and  sisters. 
They  were  not  even  of  the 
same  length.  But  Mr.  Fabri- 
tius,  the  printer,  took  pity 
upon  me ;  '  I  '11  give  you  a 
pair  of  snow-shoes,'  he  said. 
Then  spring  came  and  then 
summer,  and  with  the  best  will 
in  the  world  one  could  n't 
go  snow-shoeing.  But  Fa- 
britius's  promise  sang  in  my 
ears,  and  no  sooner  had  the 
autumn  come  and  the  fields 
begun  to  whiten  with  hoar-frost  of  a  morning,  than  I 
placed  myself  right  in  his  way,  where  I  knew  he  would 
come  driving  by. 


NANSEN   AS   A    BOY 


22 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


III 

iii 


"  '  I  say  !     What  about  those  snow-shoes  ? ' 
" '  You   shall    have   them   right   enough,'    he   said,  and 
laughed.     But   I   returned   to  the  charge   day  after  day: 
'  What  about  those  snow-shoes  ? ' 

"  Then  came  winter.  I  can  still  see  my  sister  standing 
in  the  middle  of  the  room  with  a  long,  long  parcel  which 
she  said  was  for  me.  I  thought  she  said,  too,  it  was  from 
Paris.  But  that  was  a  mistake,  for  it  was  the  snow-shoes 
from  Fabritius  —  a  pair  of  red-lacquered  ash  snow-shoes 
with  black  stripes.  And  there  was  a  long  staff  too,  with 
shining  blue-lacquered  shaft  and  knob.  I  used  these 
snow-shoes  for  ten  years.  It  was  on  them  I  made  my 
first  big  jump  on  Huseby  Hill,  where  at  that  time  the 
great  snow-shoe  races  were  held.  We  boys  were  not 
allowed  to  go  there.  We  might  range  all  the  other  hills 
round  about,  but  the  Huseby  Hill  was  forbidden.  But 
we  could  see  it  from  Froen,  and  it  lured  us  day  after  day 
till  we  could  n't  resist  it  any  longer.  At  first  I  started 
from  the  middle  of  the  hill,  like  most  of  the  other  boys, 
and  all  went  well.  But  presently  I  saw  there  were  one 
or  two  who  started  from  the  top ;  so  of  course  I  had 
to  try  it.  Off  I  set,  came  at  frantic  speed  to  the  jump, 
sailed  for  what  seemed  a  long  time  in  space,  and  ran 
my  snow-shoes  deep  into  a  snow-drift.  We  did  n't  have 
our  shoes  fastened  on  in  those  days,  so  they  remained 
sticking  in  the  drift,  whi^e  I,  head  first,  described  a  fine 
arc  in  the  air.  I  had  such  way  on,  too,  that  when  I 
came  down  again  T  bored  into  the  snow  up  to  my  waist. 
There  was  a  moment's  hush  on  the  hill.  The  boys 
thought  I  had  broken  my  neck.  But  as  soon  as  they 
saw  there  was  life  in  me,  and  that  I  was  beginning  to 
scramble  out,  a  shout  of  mocking  laughter  went  up ;  an 


NANSEN'S  AXCESTRY  AND   CHILDHOOD 


23 


endless  roar  of  derision  over  tlie  entire  hill  from  top  to 
bottom. 

"After  that,  I  took  part  in  the  Huseby  Hill  races  and 
won  a  prize.  But  I  did  n't  take  it  home ;  for  I  was  put 
to  shame  on  that  occasion  as  well.  It  was  the  first  time 
I  had  seen  the  Telemark  peasants  snow-shoeing,  and  I 
recognized  at  a  glance  that  I  was  n't  to  be  mentioned 
in  the  same  breath  with  them.  They  used  no  staff;  they 
simply  went  ahead  and  made  the  leap  without  trusting  to 
anything  but  the  strength  of  their  muscles  and  the  firm, 
lithe  carriage  of  their  bodies.  I  saw  that  this  was  the 
only  proper  way.  Until  I  had  mastered  it,  I  w^ould  n't 
have  any  prize." 

He  was  a  terrible  one  for  falling  into  brown  studies. 
Between  putting  on  the  first  and  the  second  stocking  of 
a  morning,  there  was  always  a  prolonged  interval.  Then 
his  brothers  and  sisters  would  call  out,  "  There 's  the 
duft'er  at  it  again !  You  '11  never  come  to  any  good, 
you  're  such  a  dawdler." 

He  was  ahvays  bent  on  getting  to  the  bottom  of  every- 
thing. He  asked  so  many  questions,  says  one  of  his  older 
friends,  that  it  made  one  absolutely  ill.  "  Many  a  time 
have  I  given  him  a  thundering  scolding  for  this  everlast- 
ing '  Why  ?  —  Why }  —  Why  ? '  "  The  arrival  of  a  sewing- 
machine  at  Froen  naturally  aroused  the  demon  of  curios- 
ity in  all  his  virulence.  He  must  find  out  what  kind  of 
animal  this  was.  So  he  took  it  all  to  pieces,  and  when 
his  mother  came  back  from  town,  the  machine  was  the 
most  disjointed  puzzle  imaginable.  If  tradition  is  to  be 
trusted,  however,  he  did  not  give  in  until  he  had  put  it  all 
together  again. 


CHAPTER    II 


YOUTH 


If,  weary  of  the  soft  grace  of  the  Ch  -istiania  Valley, 
one  turns  and  gazes  northward  from  the  tower  on  Try- 
vand  Height,  one  is  confronted,  as  far  as  eye  can  see, 
with  blue-black  forests  —  forests  and  nothing  but  forests, 
ridge  behind  ridge,  on  and  on  to  the  farthest  verge  of 
the  horizon. 

This  is  Nordmarken,  an  unbroken  stretch  of  Nor- 
wegian woodland,  many  square  miles  in  extent,  a  lonely 
world  of  narrow  valleys,  abrupt  heights,  secluded  glassy 
lakes,  and  foaming  rivers. 

Into  this  solitude  no  murmur  from  the  busy  capital 
ever  penetrates,  not  even  the  sound  of  a  panting  engine 
or  the  warning  whistle  of  a  steamboat  cautiously  thread- 
ing the  intricacies  of  the  fjord  in  the  dense  sea-fog. 

At  the  frontier  of  Nordmarken  the  comforts  of  civiliza- 
tion instantaneously  stop  short.  When  you  have  said 
good-bye  to  the  great  hotels  on  the  slopes  of  the  Frogner 
Saeter,  and  plunged  into  these  interminable  forests,  yctu 
may  wander  for  days  without  coming  across  anything 
remotely  resem'^ling  an  hotel. 

Yes,  here  all  is  peaceful  and  still  —  breathlessly  still  — 
when  summer  spreads  her  light  veil  over  the  glassy  lakes 
and  dark  green  leas,  when  the  black-grouse  drowses  in 
the  heather,  and  even  the  thrush  in  the  pine-tops  hushes 
his  song. 


NANSEN'S    }  O  67  // 


25 


There  is  breathless  stiUness,  too,  of  a  clear  autumn 
evening  when  the  birch  sees  its  yellow  silk,  and  the  aspen 
its  gorgeous  scarlet,  reflected  in  the  black  mirror  of  the 
lake,  framed  in  the  delicate  pale  red  of  the  heather. 

Again  there  is  breathless  stillness  —  perhaps  even  more 
complete  —  during  the  long  night  of  winter,  when  the 
stars  glitter  over  the  snow-laden  forest  and  the  white- 
frozen  surface  of  the  lake,  and  no  sound  is  heard  save  the 
soft  trickle  of  the  ice-bound  river. 

In  the  shooting  and  fishing  season  it  is  no  longer  the 
Great  Pan  who  reigns.  Fishing-rods  by  the  score  hang 
over  the  river  like  a  bending  wood,  and  the  guns  of  the 
city  sportsmen  keep  up  a  continual  popping  and  banging 
in  a  spirit  of  noisy  competition.  Even  the  boundless 
abundance  of  fish  and  game  is  thus  on  the  decline. 
Waterworks  have  interfered  with  the  spawning,  dam  after 
dam  bars  the  fishes'  way  up  stream,  and  the  river  bed  lies 
dry  for  weeks  together. 

It  was  not  so  twenty  years  ago,  in  Fridtjof  Hansen's 
boyhood.  He  was  among  the  few,  the  pioneers,  the  elect. 
That  Robinson  Crusoe  existence  which  less  favored  boys 
must  be  content  to  live  in  imagination  was  vouchsafed  to 
him  in  its  glorious  reality.  Of  his  first  expedition  to  the 
borders  of  that  Promised  Land  he  has  himself  ritten  as 
follows :  — 

"  I  showed  no  great  intrepidity  on  my  ^rst  voyage  of 
discovery,  although  it  went  no  farther  than  to  Sorkedal. 

"  I  was  somewhere  about  ten  or  eleven  at  the  time,  and 
up  in  Sorkedal  lived  several  boys  w^ho  were  friends  of 
mine,  and  who  had  asked  my  brothers  and  myseli  to  come 
and  see  them.  One  afternoon  in  June,  as  we  were  sitting 
out  on  the  steps,  it  came  over  us  all  of  a  sudden  that  we 


26 


NANSEN  IN   'I HE  FROZEN   WORLD 


really  ought  to  act  upon  this  invitation.  We  had  a  notion 
that  we  ought  to  ask  our  parents'  leave,  and  an  equally 
clear  notion  that  we  should  n't  Ljet  it  if  we  did.  Father 
and  mother  were  taking  a  siesta;  we  dared  not  disturb 
them,  and  if  we  waited  till  they  awakened  it  would  be  too 
late  to  go.  So  we  took  French  leave  and  slipj^ed  off. 
The  first  part  of  the  way  was  familiar  to  us.  We  knew 
where  Engeland  lay,  and  made  our  way  to  Bogstad  with- 
out much  hesitation.  After  that  we  were  rather  at  sea ; 
but  we  asked  our  way  from  point  to  point,  first  to  the 
Sorkedal  church,  and  after  that  to  the  farm  where  the 
boys  lived.  By  the  time  we  got  there  it  was  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  Then  we  had  to  play  with  our  friends 
and  go  and  see  the  barn,  and  afterwards  to  do  a  little  fish- 
ing. But  it  was  n't  any  real  fun.  Our  consciences  were 
so  bad  that  we  had  no  peace  for  so  much  as  half  an  hour. 
Then  the  time  came  for  us  to  go  home,  and  our  hearts 
sank  so  dreadfully  that  the  way  back  seemed  ever  so  much 
wearier  than  the  way  out.  The  youngest  soon  became 
footsore,  and  it  was  a  melancholy  procession  that  slowly 
dragged  itself  towards  Froen  farm  at  eleven  o'clock  that 
night.  We  saw  from  a  long  way  off  that  people  were 
afoot ;  no  doubt  they  had  been  searching  for  us.  We  felt 
anything  but  fearless.  As  we  turned  the  corner,  mother 
came  towards  us.  '  Is  that  you,  boys.'*'  'Now  we're  in  for 
it! '  we  thought.     '  Where  have  you  been  .? '  mother  asked. 

"  Well,  we  had  been  to  Sorkedal.  Now  for  it !  But 
mother  only  said  in  an  odd  way :  '  You  are  strange  boys ! ' 
And  she  had  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Fancy,  not  the  least  bit  of  a  scolding !  Fancy  getting 
to  bed  with  our  blistered  feet,  and  without  the  least  bit  of 
a  scolding  ! 


iVANSF.N'S    YOUTH 


a; 


"  And  the  most  extraordinary  part  of  it  was  that  a  few- 
days  later  we  were  allowed  to  go  again  to  Sorkedal. 
Could  it  be  that  father  and  mother  had  come  to  think 
that  they  had  been  a  little  too  strict  with  us  ? 

"  While  I  was  in  my  teens,  I  used  to  pass  weeks  at  a 
time  alone  in  the  forest.  I  disliked  having  any  equipment 
for  my  expeditions.  I  managed  witli  a  crust  of  bread  and 
broiled  my  fish  on  the  embers.  I  loved  to  live  like  Rob- 
inson Crusoe  up  there  in  the  wilderness." 

But  frequently  Nansen  was  accompanied  by  his  brother 
and  an  t)lder  member  of  the  family,  who  hapj^ened  to  be 
an  enthusiastic  huntsman  and  fisherman.  And  in  this 
way,  from  the  age  of  twelve  upwards,  the  boys  trained 
themselves  to  bear  those  fatl<j:ucs  which  are  the  best  thiny; 
in  the  world  for  hardening  the  muscles.  The  tramj) 
became  longer  and  longer,  they  jiushed  on  farther  and 
farther  afield,  as  they  grew  older ;  first  to  Sorkedal  —  then 
to  Langli  River — then  Svarten  (the  Black  Lake)  —  San- 
dungen  —  Katnosa. 

The  woods  of  Nordmarken  offered  plenty  of  long  runs 
for  a  ""  ski-rtmfier''  who  preferred  to  go  his  own  way.  It 
was  here  that  a  feeling  for  nature  was  fostered  in  him  —  a 
sense  of  the  beauty  of  winter  and  summer,  and  of  shifting 
atmospheric  moods  which  do  not  as  a  rule  appeal  to  boys. 
Here  his  tissues  were  hardened  to  face  the  Polar  winters, 
while  he  stood  in  the  crackling  frost  waiting  for  the  hare, 
and  envying  him  his  warm  white  fur.  It  was  hereabouts 
(at  Fyllingen)  that  he  was  once  hare-hunting  with  his 
brother  for  thirteen  days  on  end.  At  the  last  they  had 
nothing  to  live  on  but  potato  cakes,  and  were  half  starved, 
both  they  and  their  dog.  Then  came  killing-day  at  the 
farm,  and  the  brothers  consumed  black-puddings  till  they 


a8 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


il 


nearly  burst.  When  the  time  came  to  go  home,  Fridtjof 
had  to  shoulder  seven  hares,  slung  by  the  legs.  He 
slipped,  fell  forwards,  and  all  the  hares  shot  out  like  the 
rays  of  a  halo  round  his  head. 

There  was  one  thing  that  used  to  annoy  his  snow- 
shoeing  cronies  in  those  days,  and  that  was  his  total  care- 
lessness as  to  creature  comforts.  If  he  hapj^ened  to 
look  from  the  tower  on  Tryvand's  Height  away  over  to 
Stubdal,  twenty  miles  off,  a  whim  would  all  of  a  sudden 
seize  him,  and  nothing  would  serve  but  he  must  set  off 
without  taking  a  crumb  of  food  with  him.  He  on  one 
occasion  descended  upon  a  farm  in  Stubdal  so  ravenously 
hungry  that  the  people  did  not  forget  his  visit  for  many 
a  day. 

Another  time  he  and  a  party  of  his  friends  set  off  on  a 
long  snow-shoeing  expedition,  each  with  his  provision  wal- 
let on  his  back  —  each  one,  that  is  to  say,  except  Fridtjof 
Nansen.  But  when  they  got  to  the  first  resting-place  he 
unbuttoned  his  jacket  and  took  out  of  his  breast  pocket 
—  concealed  deep  within  the  lining  —  several  pancakes, 
which  were  as  hot  after  the  snow-shoeing  as  if  they  had 
just  come  off  the  pan.  He  held  them  up  smoking : 
"  Have  a  pancake,  any  of  you  fellows .?  "  None  of  them 
were  dainty,  but  the  pancakes  seemed  even  less  so,  and 
they  declined  with  thanks.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  the  more 
fools  you,  for  let  me  tell  you  there  's  jam  in  them  I "  It 
is  in  such  traits  that  he  shows  his  kinship  with  the  deni- 
zens of  the  great  forests.  He  has  the  recklessness  of  the 
hunter  and  the  lumberman,  their  daring  and  headlong 
spirits.  He  is  a  typical  east-country  boy.  But  at  the 
same  time  there  is  systematic  intention  in  the  training  to 
which  he  subjects  himself;  his  alert  ambition  reinforces 


i 


NANSEN'S    YOUTH 


29 


his  dclii^ht  in  unvarnished  nature,  and  his  tendency  to 
set  at  defiance  the  customs  of  civihzation.  "  The  least 
possible  "  is  early  his  ideal,  and  he  has  not  the  slightest 
objection  to  shocking  public  opinion  in  acting  up  to  his 
principles.  It  never  occurs  to  him  to  doubt  that  it  is  he 
who  is  right  and  the  world  that  is  wrong.  He  aj)pears  to 
have  been  one  of  the  first  consistent  disciples  of  Jaeger 
in  Christiania,  and  later  on,  in  his  letters  from  Bergen,  he 
boasts  that  now  the  wool  theory  is  admitted  on  all  hands. 
He  quotes  in  this  connection  one  of  his  favorite  sayings: 
"  There  was  a  man  in  a  madhouse  in  London,  who  used 
to  say :  '  I  said  the  world  was  crazy,  but  the  world  said 
that  I  was  crazy,  and  so  they  put  me  here.'  " 

One  thing  his  friends  had  to  guard  against :  they  must 
never  say  to  him  that  anything  was  impossible,  for  that 
was  inevitably  the  signal  for  him  to  attempt  it.  His  boy- 
ish imjjctuosity  brought  him  on  one  occasion  to  death's 
door  —  to  the  very  verge  of  one  of  those  leaps  which 
even  the  most  expert  athlete  cannot  clear. 

It  was  in  1878.  On  a  walking  tour  with  his  brother 
Alexander,  he  came  to  Gjendin  in  the  Jotunheim,  and 
must  needs  climb  the  Svartdal  Peak.  There  was  a  way 
round  the  back  of  the  mountain  which  was  more  or  less 
practicable,  but  Fridtjof  would  have  none  of  that ;  he  must 
of  course  go  straight  up  the  precipitous  black  face  of  the 
hill.  "  As  w^e  got  up  towards  the  peak,"  his  brother  relates, 
"  there  was  a  snow-field  which  we  had  to  cross.  Beyond 
the  snow-field  lay  the  precipice,  straight  down  into  the 
valley.  I  had  already  had  several  attacks  of  giddiness,  so 
that  Fridtjof  had  given  me  his  alpenstock,  and  was  with- 
out it  when  it  came  to  crossing  the  glacier.  Instead  of 
going  carefully  step  by  step,  as  he  would  do  now,  he  goes 


9 


3° 


NAiXSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WOK  ID 


at  it  with  a  rush,  sHps,  and  begins  to  sHde  down.  I  can 
see  him  turn  pale.  A  few  seconds  more,  and  he  will  lie 
crushed  to  death  in  the  valley.  Me  digs  his  heels  and 
nails  into  the  ice,  and  brings  himself  to  a  standstill  in  the 
nick  of  time.  That  moment  I  shall  never  for<'et.  Nor 
shall  I  forget  his  coming  down  to  the  tourist  chalet  and 
disappearing  into  the  trousers  which  the  burly  secretary 
of  the  Tourist  Club,  N.  G.  Dietrichson,  had  to  lend  him, 
an  essential  part  of  his  own  having  yielded  to  the  friction 
of  the  <j;lacier." 

The  same  year  in  which  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  in  the 
Jotunheim,  he  had  his  first  experience  of  ptarmigan  shoot- 
ing in  the  mountains, —  Norefjeld  and  thereabouts,  —  and 
it  was  then  they  went  on  a  tramp  so  exhausting  that  one 
of  his  brothers  fell  asleep  far  ujj  on  the  heights,  and  had 
to  be  hauled  along  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  It  was 
probably  these  early  hunting  expeditions  through  the  for- 
est and  over  the  mountain  plateaux  that  gave  him  his  taste 
for  the  accurate  observation  of  animal  life,  and  thus  sup- 
plied the  initial  impulse  towards  the  line  of  study  which 
he  finally  chose.  In  the  year  1880  he  matriculated  with 
sufficient  credit  to  prove  that  his  distractions  during 
school  time  had  not  been  so  absorbing  as  to  prevent  him 
from  settling  down  to  work  when  the  moment  arrived. 
He  got  a  first  class  in  all  natural  science  subjects,  mathe- 
matics, and  history;  and  when  in  December,  1881,  he  went 
up  for  his  second  examination,  he  was  classed  as  laudabilis 
prce  ceteris.  He  appears  about  this  time  to  have  been  in 
some  uncertainty  as  to  his  choice  of  a  career.  He  was 
entered  as  a  cadet  at  the  military  academy,  but  the  nomi- 
nation was 'cancelled  w^hen  he  finally  resolved  to  continue 


!■ 


J^^1JVS£.V'S   YOi'Tir 


3' 


his  scientific  studies,  lie  never  contemplated  going  into 
the  medical  profession,  but  had  at  one  lime  an  idea  of 
takin*"-  the  first  part  of  the  medical  examination.  It  ended, 
however,  in  his  choosing  a  special  branch,  Zoology.  As 
early  as  January,  1S82,  he  ai)plies  to  Professor  Collett  for 
advice.  The  Professor  happens  to  remember  how  he  him- 
self has  been  urged  by  Arctic  seamen  to  go  with  them 
and  i)rosecute  his  studies  during  a  sealing  expedition. 
This  ought  to  be  the  very  thing  for  Nansen.  1  le  is  an 
expert  sportsman  and  a  good  shot  —  why  should  he  not 
go  to  the  Arctic  regions  on  board  a  sealing  vessel,  make 
his  observations,  keep  a  record,  and  train  himself  for  de- 
scriptive zoological  research  ?  Nansen  came  to  see  him, 
and  he  made  the  suggestion,  which  took  hold  of  the  young 
man  at  once.  A  week  later  he  asj^ain  called  on  the  Pro- 
fessor,  having  in  the  mean  time  spoken  to  Captain  Kref- 
ting  of  the  sealer  Viking,  and  arranged  matters  v  ith  him. 
On  January  23,  Nansen's  father  telegraphed  to  an  old 
friend  in  Arendal  asking  him  to  secure  the  ship-owners' 
sanction.  The  friend  was  able,  when  called  upon,  to  de- 
clare that  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  a  sturdy,  strapping  fellow, 
ready  with  his  hands,  and  capable  of  great  endurance,  so 
that,  to  the  best  of  the  witness's  belief,  he  would  prove  a 
useful  and  desirable  member  of  the  expedition.  Permis- 
sion was  instantly  wired  back,  and  Nansen,  having  em- 
ployed the  brief  interval  at  the  university  in  studying  the 
anatomy  of  the  seal,  sailed  from  the  port  of  Arendal  on 
board  the  Vih'ng  on  Saturday,  March  11. 

The  cruise  lasted  five  months ;  during  which  Nansen 
shot  about  five  hundred  large  seals,  and  fourteen  Polar 
bears.  The  Viking  got  fast  in  the  ice  off  the  east  coast 
of  Greenland,  and  it  was  there  that  the  idea  occurred  to 


3a 


N.tNSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Nanscn  that  it  would  be  practicable  to  land  on  the  coast 
and  cross  the  inland  ice. 

We  have  T^idtjof  Nansen's  own  word  for  it  tiiat  these 
weeks  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  exercised  a  deter- 
piining  influence  over  him.  "  By  day  the  peaks  and  the 
glaciers  lay  glittering  beyond  the  drift  ice  ;  in  the  evening 
and  at  nit^ht,  wIilmi   the   sun    tinned    them  with   color  and 


IN    TlIK    rOLAR    SKA 


set  air  and  clouds  oii  fire  behind  them,  their  wild  beauty 
was  thrown  into  even  bolder  relief." 

He  brooded  incessantly  over  plans  for  reaching  that 
coast  which  so  many  have  sought  in  vain.  It  must  be 
possible,  he  thought,  to  make  your  way  over  the  ice,  drag- 
ging your  boat  along  with  you.  He  wanted  to  set  of¥ 
alone  and  w'alk  ashore,  but  permission  was  refused  him. 
Already  he  had  begun  to  entertain  notions  of  penetrating 


N^IJVSJiJV'S    YOUTH 


33 


to  the  heart  of  the  country;  and  within  a  year  of  his 
return  to  Norway  tiic  idea  of  crossini;  Cireenhuul  on 
snow-shoes  had  taken  firm  root  in  his  mind. 

While  iMidtjof  Nansen  was  swimmini;  across  the  rifts 
in  the  ice  after  Polar  bears,  the  I)irector-in-Chief  of  tiie 
Hergen  Museum,  Dr.  Danielssen,  was  turning  thinj^s  oxer 
in  his  mind,  fie  needed  a  new  assistant.  Before  tlie 
ijear-hunter  had  reached  Christiania,  Professor  Robert 
Collett  was  appHed  to  by  telegraph  for  his  advice.  He 
thought  instantly  of  Nansen,  and  asked  him,  the  moment 
he  set  foot  on  shore,  if  he  would  care  to  become  Curator 
{Kouservaior)  o{  the  Bergen  Museum.  He  agreed  at  once, 
lie  was  not  yet  twenty-one,  and  had  done  nothing  what- 
ever to  make  his  mark  in  science  ;  so  it  was  certainly  a 
very  tempting  offer.  He  held  the  position  of  Curator  of 
the  Bergen  Museum  till  i<S8(S,  during  which  time  he  was 
engaged  in  carrying  on  zoological  investigations. 

F'ew  things  are  more  characteristic  of  Nansen  than  the 
way  in  which  he  passed  from  Polar  bear-hunting  to  the 
work-room  of  the  Bergen  Museum.  "  I  have  become  an 
absolute  first-class  stick-in-the-nuid,"  he  says  in  a  letter  to 
his  father  as  early  as  October  17,  1882.  He,  the  athlete 
and  sportsman  par  excellence,  has  to  "  reassure  "  his  father 
by  informing  him  that  he  is  a  member  of  two  gymnastic 
societies  !  He  throws  himself  into  his  scientific  work  as 
passionately  as  if  it  were  the  most  thrilling  of  adventures. 
He  pursues  the  paltriest  insect  revealed  by  the  micro- 
scope no  less  impetuously  than  he  pursued  the  bears 
over  the  Arctic  wastes.  In  the  course  of  his  studies  of  the 
nervous  system,  Nansen  became  acquainted  with  the  chro- 
mic silver  method  of  staining  the  nerve  fibres  invented 
by  Professor  Golgi  of  Pavia. 

3 


34 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   FROZEN    WORLD 


i 


\ 

f 

1 

In  order  thoroughly  to  famiHarize  himself  with  this  im- 
portant auxiliary  to  the  investigations  which  had  now  oc- 
cupied him  for  several  years,  he  determined,  in  the  spring 
of  1886,  to  go  to  Italy.  Pr.rtly  under  Golgi's  personal 
guidance,  and  partly  at  the  Zoological  Station  in  Naples, 
where  he  would  find  ample  material,  he  hoped  to  be  able 
to  carry  his  researches  somewhat  farther  than  had  been 
possible  with  the  methods  hitherto  in  vogue.  The  previ- 
ous year,  at  the  Bergen  Museum,  he  had  wor*  the  Joachim 
Friele  gold  medal  for  his  work  on  the  myzostoma.  He 
had  taken  the  medal  in  copper,  and  applied  the  value  of 
the  gold  to  his  travelling  expenses. 

After  a  short  stay  in  Pavia,  where  he  conferred  with 
Professor  Golgi  and  Dr.  Fusari,  he  went  on  to  Naples, 
where  he  spent  the  following  months,  from  April  till  June, 
1886,  at  the  celebrated  Zoological  Station. 

The  principal  results  of  his  studies  he  embodied  in  sev- 
eral biological  works  ;  for  "  The  Structure  and  Combina- 
tion of  the  Histological  Elements  of  the  Central  Nervous 
System  "  Nansen  received  his  doctor's  degree. 

By  the  great  public,  Fridtjof  Nansen  is  known  and  ad- 
mired chiefly  as  the  dauntless  explorer  of  the  unknown 
wastes  of  the  North  Pole.  The  above  may  help  to  im- 
press upon  the  public,  that  Nansen  is  also  an  investigator 
of  note  in  another  domain,  which,  though  it  does  not 
attract  so  much  attention,  perhaps  deserves  it  no  less. 

Voyages  of  discovery  in  the  quiet  study,  in  the  labora- 
tory, in  the  world  of  the  microscope,  in  Nature's  secret 
workshop,  —  these  too  minister  to  the  enlio;htenment  of 
mankind  and  the  progress  of  civilization.  In  this  field 
Fridtjof  Nansen  proved  himself  a  born  discoverer,  and,  at 
an  unusually  early  age,  developed  an  activity  which  was 
rich  in  promise. 


.•/ 


CHAPTER    III 


NANSEN  S    GREENLAND    EXPEDITION PREPARATIONS PLAN 

—  EQUIPMENT 


O'l 


winter  evening  in  '87,"  writes  Dr.  Grieg,  "  I  sat 
in  my  den  at  3A  Parkveien,  absorbed  in  my  work.  Sud- 
denly the  door  was  flung  wide  open,  and  in  stalked 
Nansen,  with  his  long-haired,  badly  trained  dog  Jenny. 
Without  pretending  to  be  an  authority  on  the  subject, 
it  is  my  opinion  that  Nansen  is  too  absent-minded  to  be 
able  to  train  good  sporting  dogs.  The  evening  was  cold, 
so  that  even  Nansen  had  thrown  his  plaid  over  his  shoul- 
ders.    He  sat  down  on  the  sofa  just  opposite  me. 

" '  Do  you  know  what  I  'm  going  to  set  about  now  ? ' 
he  said.  '  I  mean  to  have  a  try  at  crossing  Greenland.' 
And  he  set  forth  his  plans  with  the  aid  of  my  old  atlas, 
which  I  shall  always  associate  with  the  memory  of  that 
evening.  He  was  excited  and  wrought-up,  and,  at  that 
stage,  far  from  being  certain,  or  even  hopeful,  of  finding 
things  go  easily.  I  saw  he  wanted  objections  to  discuss, 
and  I  supplied  him  with  what  occurred  to  me,  though  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  subject.  '  It  would  be  easiest  to 
make  the  crossing  lower  down,  you  understand,'  he  said, 
*  but  the  real  thing  will  be  to  show  the  world  that  Green- 
land can  be  crossed  so  far  north  as  this '  and  he 

pointed  out  where  he  had  at  first  planned  to  start.  He 
little  dreamed  that  this  stretch  of  coast,  which  he  treated 
so  lightly  that  evening,  would  prove  so  hard  a  nut  to 


36 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


W 


I 


't>' 


We 


Jd 
all 


crack.  He  said  he  was  going  to  Stockholm.  '  What 
are  you  going  to  do  there  ? '  '  To  look  up  Nordenskjold, 
and  ask  him  to  give  me  his  opinion  of  my  scheme.  I 
shall  just  wait  to  take  my  doctor's  degree  in  the  si  r 
and  then  off  to  Greenland.  It  will  be  a  hard  sprin 
man,  but  pooh  !   I  shall  manage  it.' 

"  Another  friend  had  meanwhile  dropped  in 
three  walked  to  Skarpsno,  we  two  every-day  people  mak- 
ing feeble  objections,  he  meeting  them  with  increasing 
warmth  and  with  youthful  emphasis  of  conviction.  He 
would  stake  his  life  on  the  plan,  and  we  should  see  it 
would  all  go  smoothly.  It  was  like  a  revelation,  in  these 
decadent  days,  to  find  a  man  of  action  ready  to  lay  down 
his  life  for  his  idea.  I  was  impressed  and  moved  that 
evening  when  we  parted." 

He  went  to  Stockholm.  It  may  be  noted  at  this  point 
that  it  was  in  1886  that  Peary  and  Maigaard,  with  their 
scanty  equipment,  had  made  a  highly  successful  inroad 
upon  the  Greenland  ice  field,  intended,  as  Peary  had 
expressly  stated  in  his  brief  narrative,  merely  as  a  prelim- 
inary reconnaissance.  Nansen  had  no  time  to  lose  if  he 
did  not  want  to  be  anticipated.  Moreover,  his  zoological 
and  anatomical  labors  were  in  the  mean  time  at  a  stand- 
still. His  great  essay  on  the  histological  elements  of  the 
central  nervous  system  was  finished,  and  could  at  any 
time  be  handed  in  as  a  thesis  for  his  doctor's  degree. 

"When,  on  Thursday,  November  3,  1887,  I  entered  my 
work-room,  in  the  Mineralogical  Institute  of  the  Stock- 
holm High  School,"  says  Professor  Brogger,  "  my  janitor 
told  me  that  there  had  been  a  Norwegian  asking  for 
me.  He  had  not  left  a  card,  and  did  not  say  who  he  was. 
Compatriots  without  a  name  and  without  a  visiting-card 


.• ; 


NANSEN'S    GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


37 


were  no  rarity.  It  was  no  doubt  some  one  wanting  me 
to  relieve  him  from  a  momentary  embarrassment.'  '  What 
did  he  look  like.'*'  I  said,  with  a  touch  of  annoyance. 

"  '  Tall  and  fair,'  answered  Andersson. 

"  '  Was  he  well  dressed  1 ' 

"  '  He  had  n't  any  overcoat,'  said  Andersson,  smiling 
confidentially ;  '  he  looked  like  a  sailor,  or  something  of 
that  sort.' 

"  Ah,  yes  —  a  sailor  without  an  overcoat !  No  doubt 
the  idea  was  that  I  should  supply  him  with  one.  I  saw 
it  all. 

"  An  hour  or  two  later  in  came  Wille.  '  Have  you  seen 
Nansen  .? ' 

"  '  Nansen  ?  Was  that  the  name  of  the  sailor .?  The 
man  without  an  overcoat  ? ' 

"  '  Has  he  no  overcoat  ?  At  any  rate  he  's  going  to 
cross  the  Greenland  ice  sheet.'  And  Wille  rushed  off  — 
he  was  in  a  hurry. 

"  After  that  comes  another  of  my  colleagues.  Professor 
Lecke,  the  zoologist.  '  Have  you  seen  Nansen  }  Is  n't 
he  a  splendid  fellow  .?  He  has  been  telling  me  of  many 
interesting  discoveries  about  the  sex  of  the  myxine  — 
and  about  his  investigations  of  the  nervous  system  too. 
Charming  things  !     Splendid  ! ' 

"  After  all  these  preliminaries,  Nansen  at  last  appeared 
in  person  —  tall  and  erect,  broad-shouldered  and  powerful, 
yet  with  the  grace  and  suppleness  of  youth.  His  rather 
rough  hair  was  brushed  back  from  his  massive  forehead. 
He  came  straight  up  to  me  and  gave  me  his  hand  with  a 
peculiarly  winning  smile,  while  he  introduced  himself. 

"  '  You  are  going  to  cross  Greenland  ? ' 

"  '  Well,  I  'm  thinking  of  it' 


38 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


"  I  looked  him  in  the  eyes.  There  he  stood  with  the 
kindly  smile  on  his  strongly-cut,  massive  face,  his  com- 
plete self-confidence  awakening  confidence  in  others. 
Although  his  manner  was  just  the  same  all  the  time, — 
calm,  straightforward,  perhaps  even  a  little  awkward,  — 
yet  it  seemed  as  if  he  grew  with  every  word.  This  plan, 
—  this  snow-shoe  expedition  from  the  east  coast,  —  which 
a  moment  ago  I  had  regarded  as  an  utterly  crazy  idea, 
became,  in  the  course  of  that  one  conversation,  the  most 
natuial  thing  in  the  world.  The  conviction  possessed  me 
all  of  a  sudden :  he  will  do  this  thing,  as  surely  as  we  are 
sitting  here  and  talking  about  it. 

"  This  man  whose  name  I  had  never  so  much  as  heard 
until  a  couple  of  hours  before,  had  in  these  few  minutes  — 
quite  naturally  and  inevitably  as  it  seemed  —  made  me 
feel  as  though  I  had  known  him  all  my  days ;  and  with- 
out reflecting  at  all  as  to  how  it  happened,  I  knew  that  I 
should  be  proud  and  happy  to  be  his  friend  through  life. 

"  '  We  '11  go  straight  to  Nordenskjold,'  I  said  ;  and  we 
went.  With  his  singular  dress  —  a  tight-fitting,  dark  blue, 
jersey-like  blouse  or  jacket,  closely  buttoned  up  —  he  did 
not  fail  to  attract  a  certain  amount  of  attention  in  Drott- 
ninggatan  (Queen  Street).  Gustaf  Retzius,  as  I  heard 
afterwards,  took  him  at  first  for  an  acrobat  or  rope- 
dancer. 

"  Well,  we  hunted  up  Nordenskjold,  crossing  the  quiet, 
cloistral  quadrangle  of  the  Academy  of  Science,  which 
has  always  something  awe-inspiring  about  it. 

"  Nordenskjold  was  in  his  laboratory,  as  usual  at  that 
time  in  the  morning.  We  went  through  the  anterooms 
filled  with  mineralogical  specimens  and  cases.  '  These 
used  to  be  Berzelius's  quarters,'  I  remarked  to  Nansen  in 


/.•/ 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXPEDITION 


39 


passing.     Lindstrom,  the  Professor's  assistant,  presently 
appeared,  with  both  hands  full  of  retorts  and  chemicals. 

*' '  The  old  man  is  inside  ;  he  's  up  to  his  eyes  in  work,' 
he  whispered  quietly  to  me. 

"  There,  in  the  work-room,  '  old  man  Nor  '  was  wander- 
ing around  among  his  minerals.  I  can  never  see  his 
strong,  broad  back,  without  thinking  of  a  story  in  connec- 
tion with  his  boat  expedition  up  the  Yenisei  in  1875.  At 
one  point,  where  the  seas  repeatedly  threatened  to  swamp 
the  boat,  Nordenskjold  took  his  seat  on  the  after  gunwale, 
and  let  the  ice-cold  waves  break  on  his  broad  back. 
There  he  sat  for  hours,  doing  duty,  in  a  literal  sense,  as  a 
breakwater.     Of  such  stuff  are  Arctic  explorers  made. 

"  I  greeted  Nordenskjold  and  performed  the  introduc- 
tion. '  Curator  Nansen,  of  Bergen.  He  intends  to  cross 
the  Greenland  ice  sheet ' 

" '  Good  heavens ! ' 

" '  And  he  would  like  to  consult  you  upon  the  matter.' 

"  '  I  'm  delighted  to  see  him.  So  !  Mr.  Nansen  intends 
to  cross  Greenland  } ' 

"  The  bombshell  had  fallen.  The  friendly,  amiable,  but 
somewhat  absent  expression  he  had  worn  an  instant  be- 
fore had  vanished,  and  his  liveliest  interest  was  aroused. 
He  seer" -.id  to  be  scanning  the  young  man  from  head  to 
foot,  in  order  to  see  what  sort  of  stuff  he  had  in  him. 
Then  he  burst  out  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye :  '  I  shall 
make  Mr.  Nansen  a  present  of  a  pair  of  excellent  boots ! 
Indeed,  I  'm  not  joking ;  it 's  a  very  important  and  serious 
matter  to  have  your  foot-gear  of  the  best  quality.' 

"  The  ice  is  broken.  Nansen  expounds,  Nordenskjold 
nods  a  little  skeptically  now  and  then,  and  throws  in  a 
question  or  two.     He  no  doubt   regarded   the  plan  —  at 


I 
i 


i 


>'      ! 


I 


h) 


40 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


least  so  it  seemed  to  me  —  as  foolhardy,  but  not  absolutely 
impracticable.  It  was  obvious  that  Nansen's  personality 
had  instantly  made  a  strong  impression  on  him.  He  was 
at  once  prepared,  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  to  place  the 
results  of  his  own  experience  at  the  young  man's  service. 

"  There  were  of  course  numbers  of  details  to  be  gone 
into :  the  Laplanders,  snow-shoes,  sledges,  and  boats  — 
and  then  the  question  whether  the  drift  ice  could  be 
cros£";d  as  Nansen  had  planned.  But  '  the  old  man  was 
up  to  his  eyes  in  work,'  and  it  was  agreed  that  Nansen 
should  come  again.  Meanwhile,  we  were  to  meet  the 
same  evening,  at  the  Geological  Society.  As  we  were 
leaving  I  said  aside  to  Nordenskjold,  '  Well,  what  do  you 
think  ?     I  back  him  to  do  it.' 

" '  I  dare  say  you  're  right,'  answered  Nordenskjold. 
But  the  skeptical  expression  was  again  to  the  fore. 

"  After  the  meeting  at  the  Geological  Society,  Nansen 
accompanied  me  home.  It  was  pretty  well  on  in  the 
evening.  While  we  were  sitting  talking,  he  genial  and  at 
his  ease,  I  quite  absorbed  in  all  these  new  ideas,  there 
came  a  ring  at  the  door,  and  in  walked  Nordenskjold.  I 
at  once  saw  that  he  was  seriously  interested. 

"  We  sat  there  till  the  small  hours,  discussing  Arctic 
and  Antarctic  explorations  in  general,  and  the  Greenland 
expedition  in  particular.  It  was  only  four  years  since 
Nordenskjold  himself  had  made  his  last  expedition  on  the 
Greenland  ice  sheet;  and  he  was  at  this  time,  if  I  remem- 
ber rightly,  much  interested  in  arranging  a  combined 
Australian-Swedish  Antarctic  expedition,  in  which  his 
promising  son,  G.  Nordenskjold,^  who  unfortunately  died 
so  early,  was  to  have  taken  part. 

^  Three  years  later  this  young  man  undertook  an  expedition  to  Spitzbergen. 


•'  I 


NAXSKN'S   GREENLAND   EX/'ED/T/ON 


41 


"  I  was  going  the  next  day  to  tlie  usual  Fourtli  of 
November  banquet  at  the  house  of  the  Norwegian  Secre- 
tary of  State,  and  I  asked  Nansen  if  he  would  care  to 
have  an  invitation.  No,  he  could  n't  well  appear  on  such 
an  occasion  —  he  had  only  the  clothes  he  was  wearing. 

"'  But  Mr.  Nansen  can  come  and  dine  with  me,  just  as 
he  is,'  suggested  Nordenskjold  with  frank  cordiality;  and 
so  it  was  arranged. 

"  I  cannot  say  whether  Nansen,  when  he  returned  to 
Christiania,  a  couple  of  days  later,  took  with  him  the  '  ex- 
cellent boots,'  though  I  know  that  Nordenskjold  after- 
wards sent  him  a  pair  of  snow-spectacles.  But,  boots  or 
no  boots,  he  certainly  took  back  with  him  many  a  valuable 
hint,  and  the  assurance  of  complete  sympathy  on  the  part 
of  the  great  explorer.  When,  nearly  two  years  later,  they 
again  met  in  Stockholm,  the  foolhardy  plan  had  been 
carried  out,  and  the  journey  over  the  inland  ice  from  coast 
to  coast  was  an  accomplished  fact." 


Nansen's  application  to  the  "  Collegium  Academicum  " 
for  the  means  to  carry  out  the  expedition  is  dated  Novem- 
ber II,  1887.  The  very  first  sentence  goes  straight  to 
the  heart  of  the  matter:  "  It  is  my  intention  next  sum- 
mer to  undertake  a  journey  across  the  inland  ice  of 
Greenland  from  the  east  to  the  west  coast."  The  amount 
he  asked  for  was  5,000  crowns  (less  than  300/.).  It  is  so 
infinitesimally  small  in  comparison  with  the  magnitude 
and  importance  of  the  undertaking,  that  one  cannot  speak 
of  it  now  without  a  smile.  But  as  yet  the  project,  was 
only  a  project,  and  the  projector  an  untried  man.  The 
faculty  and  the  council  warmly  recommended  the  scheme 
to  the  Government.     But  the  Government  could  not  see 


* 

i 


4* 


NANSEN  IN  THE  EROZEN  WORLD 


its  way  to  sanctioning  it.  One  of  the  official  organs  was 
unable  to  discover  any  reason  why  the  Norwegian  people 
should  pay  so  large  a  sum  as  300/.  in  order  that  a  private 
individual  might  treat  himself  to  a  pleasure-trip  to  Green- 
land. And  undoubtedly  the  Government  here  repre- 
sented a  very  large  section  of  the  people.  Two  widely 
different  sides  of  the  Norwegian  character  were  in  this 
case  at  odds.  The  love  of  adventure  is  represented  in 
Nansen,  the  cautiousness,  the  "  canniness,"  of  the  Norwe- 
gian peasant  is  represented  in  the  Government.  It  is  no 
mere  chance  that  this  300/.  should  have  come  from 
abroad.  For  except  in  scientific  circles,  and  among  the 
young  and  ardent,  the  general  opinion  certainly  was  that 
Nansen's  undertaki..  .5  was  only  worthy  of  a  madman  — 
though  no  one  actually  went  so  far  as  to  have  him  locked 
up,  like  the  man  in  the  London  madhouse  whom  Nansen 
is  so  fond  of  citing.  A  comic  paper  in  Bergen  inserted 
the  following  advertisement :  — 

Notice.  —  In  the  month  of  June  next,  Curator  Nansen  will  give  a  snow-shoe 
display,  with  long  jumps,  on  the  inland  ice  of  Greenland.  Reserved  seats  in 
the  crevasses.     Return  ticket  unnecessary. 

And  in  private  conversation  the  affair  was  taken  much 
in  the  same  way,  when  it  was  not  regarded  from  a  more 
serious  point  of  view,  by  people  who  thought  it  sinful  to 
give  open  support  to  a  suicide. 

Nor  was  it  only  the  outside  public  that  held  these 
opinions.  Previous  explorers  of  Greenland,  who  might  be 
supposed  to  know  the  local  conditions,  characterized  the 
plan  as  absolutely  visionary.  Nansen  has  himself  reprinted 
in  his  book  a  short  extract  from  a  lecture  delivered  in 
Copenhagen  by  one  of  the  younger  Danish  explorers  of 
Greenland.     He  says :  "  Among  the  few  of  us  who  know 


^   \ 


NANSEN'S  GREENLAND  EXJ'En/I'/ON 


43 


something  of  the  nature  of  Danish  East  Oeenland,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  unless  the  ship  readies  the  coast  and 
waits  for  him  till  he  is  forced  to  confess  himself  beaten,  it 
is  ten  to  one  that  either  Nansen  will  throw  away  his  own 
life,  and  perhaps  the  lives  of  others,  to  no  purpose ;  or 
else  he  will  be  picked  up  by  the  Eskimos,  and  convoyed 
by  them  round  Cape  Farewell  to  the  Danish  stations  on 
the  west  coast.  But  no  one  has  any  right  needlessly  to 
involve  the  East  Greenlanders  in  a  long  journey,  which 
must  be  in  many  respects  injurious  to  them." 

It  was,  however,  from  Denmark  that  the  requisite  finan- 
cial assistance  came.  Professor  Amund  Helland,  who  had 
himself  been  in  Greenland,  had  strongly  advocated  the 
plan  in  the  "  Dagblad  "  of  November  24,  18S7.  "After 
the  experiences  of  others  on  the  inland  ice,"  he  says,  "  and 
after  what  I  myself  have  seen  of  it,  I  cannot  see  why 
young  and  courageous  sncw-shoers,  under  an  intelligent 
and  cautious  leader,  should  not  have  every  prospect  of 
reaching  the  other  side,  if  only  the  equipment  be  care- 
fully adapted  to  the  peculiar  conditions.  .  .  .  All  things 
carefully  considered,  I  believe  there  is  every  likelihood 
that  competent  snow-shoers  should  be  able  to  manage 
this  journey  without  running  any  such  extreme  risks  as 
should  make  the  expedition  inadvisable.  Those  who 
have  travelled  some  distance  on  the  inland  ice  of  Green- 
land number,  at  present,  about  twenty  men,  and  not  a 
single  life  has  been  lost  in  these  attempts." 

As  a  result  of  this  article,  Professor  Helland  was  able 
to  announce  to  the  "  Collegium  Academicum,"  on  Jan- 
uary 12,  1888,  that  Mr.  Augustin  Gamel,  of  Copenhagen, 
had  offered  to  provide  the  5,000  crowns. 

Nansen  accepted  the  generous  offer.     Afterwards,  when 


!i 


Hi 


i>        '. 


44  NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 

all  was  happily  over,  people  criticised  this  action.  He 
ought  to  have  waited  patiently  till  the  money  turned  up 
somewhere  in  Norway.  This  wisdom  after  the  event  is 
foolish  enough.  It  ignores  the  actual  facts  of  the  situ- 
ation. Nansen  had  made  up  his  mind  to  pay  for  the 
whole  enterprise  out  of  his  own  pocket;  no  one  in  Norway 
showed  the  slightest  eagerness  to  prevent  his  doing  so. 
And,  with  all  his  self-reliance,  he  could  not,  at  that  time, 
regard  the  realization  of  his  idea  as  a  privilege  that  must 
be  reserved  solely  and  exclusively  for  Norway.  The  situ- 
ation was  quite  different  when,  five  years  later,  with  the 
eyes  of  all  the  world  upon  him,  he  set  out  for  the  North 
Pole.  Then,  indeed,  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
the  money  as  well  as  the  flag  should  be  Norwegian.  The 
criticism  seems  all  the  emptier  when  we  remember  that 
the  Greenland  Expedition  did  not  cost  5,000  crowns,  but 
more  than  three  times  that  amount,  and  that  Nansen  him- 
self would  have  met  this  deficit  out  of  his  small  private 
means,  had  not  the  Students'  Society,  after  the  successful 
return  of  the  expedition,  set  on  foot  a  subscription  which 
brought  in  10,000  crowns. 

It  was,  as  Nansen  had  said  to  Dr.  Grieg,  a  hard  spring. 
The  first  six  months  of  1888  passed  in  one  incessant 
rush.  At  the  beginning  of  December,  1887,  he  is  back  in 
Bergen.  At  the  end  of  January,  he  goes  on  snow-shoes 
from  Eidfjord  in  Hardanger,  by  way  of  Numedal,  to 
Kongsberg,  and  thence  to  Christiania.  In  March  he  is  in 
Bergen  again,  lecturing  on  nature  and  life  in  Greenland. 
One  day  —  or  rather  night  —  we  find  him  camping  on 
the  top  of  Blaamanden,  near  Bergen,  to  test  his  sleeping- 
bag,  and  a  week  later  he  is  on  the  rostrum  in  Chris- 
tiania giving  his  first  trial  lecture  for  his  doctor's  degree, 


M 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND   EXrEDlTJON 


45 


on  the  structure  of  the  sexual  organs  in  the  myxine. 
On  April  28  he  defends  his  doctoral  thesis :  "  The  Nerve 
Elements :  their  structure  and  connection  in  the  central 
nervous  system  "  —  and  on  May  2  he  sets  off  for  Copen- 
hagen, on  his  way  to  Greenland.  "  I  would  rather  take 
a  bad  degree  than  have  a  bad  outfit,"  he  used  to  say  to 
Dr.  (irieg  in  those  days.  He  succeeded  in  getting  both 
good,  but  only  by  straining  every  nerve.  On  the  one 
hand,  he  had  his  scientific  reputation  to  look  to;  on  the 
other,  his  own  life  and  the  lives  of  five  brave  men  ;  for  he 
was  fully  convinced  that,  of  all  the  dangers  which  were 
pointed  out  to  him,  the  most  serious  by  far  was  the  danger 
of  a  defective  outfit.  On  the  outfit,  more  than  on  any- 
thing else,  depended  victory  or  defeat,  life  or  death. 

It  was  in  the  January  number  of  the  periodical  "  Natu- 
ren  "  (i.SSS)  that  he  for  the  first  time  made  a  j^ublic  state- 
ment of  his  plan.  He  explains  that,  by  striking  inland 
from  the  east  coast,  he  will  need  to  cross  Greenland  only 
once.  It  is  true  that  by  this  course  retreat  is  cut  off. 
"  The  inhospitable  coast,  inhabited  only  by  scattered 
tribes  of  heathen  Eskimos,  is  by  no  means  an  enviable 
winter  residence  to  fall  back  upon  in  the  event  of  our 
encountering  unforeseen  obstacles  in  the  interior;  but  the 
less  tempting  the  line  of  retreat,  the  stronger  will  be  the 
incentive  to  push  on  with  all  our  might."  This  is  one  of 
the  essential  points  of  the  plan  —  all  bridges  are  to  be 
broken.  Here  we  see  the  irresistible  self-confidence  of 
genius  —  its  triumphant  faith  in  its  power  to  reach  the 
goal.  The  thing  that  presents  itself  to  ordinary  prudence 
as  the  first  necessity,  namely,  a  safe  and  easy  line  of  re- 
treat, genius  regards  rather  as  a  hindrance  and  a  thing  to 
be  avoided. 


46 


NANSEN  IN  rilE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\\ 


i'l 


•' Set/.ct  Ilir  iiicht  (l;i.s  Lt'l)cn  cin, 
Nie  wircl  cucli  das  Lchcn  gewonncn  scin." 

We  will  not  here  dwell  upon  the  other  features  of  the 
plan,  because  in  all  essentials  it  was  carried  out  as  pro- 
jected ;  and  the  modifications  which  proved  necessary  are 
sufficiently  well  known  throui^h  Nansen's  own  account  of 
the  expedition.  It  wi  j  remembered  how  they  were 
caui^ht  in  the  drift  ice,  carried  down  almost  to  the 
southern  point  of  Cireenland,  and  then  had  to  fight  their 
way  laboriously  north  again.  It  will  be  remembered,  too, 
that  they  did  not  strike  inland,  as  they  intended,  north  of 
Cajje  Dan,  but  a  good  way  farther  .south,  and  that  they 
reached  the  west  coast,  not,  as  contemplated,  on  Disco 
Bay  near  Christianshaab,  but  at  the  Ameralikfjord  near 
Godthaab.  These  alterations  are  important  enough  in 
them.selves,  but  inessential  in  relation  to  the  main  object. 
The  plan  itself  having  '  i  set  forth,  the  article  proceeds 
to  enumerate  the  scienl  roblems  which  may  be  solved 

or  brought  nearer  to  a  solution  by  a  journey  across  the 
inland  ice.  Nansen  concludes  by  quoting  Nordenskjold's 
words  in  the  preface  to  his  book,  "  The  Second  Dickson 
Expedition  to  Greenland : "  "  The  investigation  of  the  un- 
known interior  of  Greenland  is  fraught  with  such  mo- 
mentous issues  for  science  that  at  present  one  can  hardly 
suggest  a  worthier  task  for  the  enterprise  of  the  Arctic 
explorer." 

Nansen  was  himself  fully  conscious  of  the  great  scien- 
tific import  of  the  journey  he  was  about  to  take. 

For  the  rest,  this  expedition  required  in  its  leader  a 
quite  unusual  combination  of  qualities  :  an  adventurous 
imagination  to  conceive  it,  a  Viking-like  hardihood  to 
carry  it  through,  strenuous  physical  training  throughout 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND   EXPEDITION 


47 


a 
us 
to 

lit 


childhood  and  youth  to  enable  him  to  face  its  fatigues, 
and  self-sa(  rificing  devotion  to  science  in  order  to  make 
the  most  of  the  opportunities  it  afforded.  And  even  more 
was  required.  This  young  man,  whose  fame  as  yet  rested 
entirely  upon  an  unfulfilled  idea,  had  to  take  command  of 
a  little  group  of  brave  men  who  all  risked  their  lives  ex- 
actly as  he  did,  and  among  whom  were  some  who  them- 
selves had  held  command.  This  was  not  a  company  of 
soldiers  to  be  ofificered  as  a  matter  of  course ;  it  recjuired  a 
special  tact,  a  peculiar  instinct,  to  bear  one's  self  :is  prumis 
inter  pares.  With  all  his  proud  self-confidence,  Nansen 
had  just  this  instinct.  It  springs  in  part,  no  doubt,  from 
a  strain  of  gentleness  in  his  character,  but  may  on  the 
whole  be  regarded  as  simply  another  manifestation  of  his 
singular  knack  of  doing  the  right  thing  at  precisely  the 
right  moment.  I  le  had  bcMi  too  early  intent  on  ends  of 
his  own  to  develop  what  one  w<  uld  call  a  specially  social 
disposition.  "  He  is  something  of  a  soloist,"  one  of  '  iS 
friends  writes  to  us,  "  steadfast  towards  those  to  whom  he 
really  attaches  himself  ;  but  they  are  not  many."  He  is 
too  absorbed  in  his  work.  He  is  not  expansive,  in  the 
sense  of  fcelimj  any  inborn  cravinij  to  make  friends.  But 
now,  in  the  moment  of  need,  the  unaffected  geniality  of 
his  temperament  comes  out  quite  naturally  in  his  relation 
to  those  who  have  had  the  courage  and  the  insight  to 
place  their  trust  in  him.  Given  another  personality  than 
his,  the  whole  undertaking  would  not  improbably  have 
gone  to  wreck,  with  the  most  disastrous  consequences. 
If  it  had  been  simply  a  question  of  mechanical  discipline, 
the  spirit  of  revolt  might  easily  have  arisen  in  the  course 
of  these  indescribable  hardships,  and  ruined  everything. 
As  it  was,  all  were  agreed  that,  though  discussion  should 


48 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


u      * 


I 


of  course  be  free,  one  must  have  the  decisive  voice.  But 
that  ore  was  of  no  higher  rank  than  the  others  when 
there  was  work  to  be  done  or  hunger  to  be  endured  ;  and 
it  was  this  complete  equaHty  that  formed  the  strongest 
bond  of  union.  Stories  have  been  invented  as  to  the  rela- 
tions between  the  six  Greenland  explorer's,  some  of  them 
of  a  dark  and  almost  traijic  tenor.  We  are  able  to  state 
on  the  best  authority  that  all  these  legends,  from  first  to 
last,  are  the  product  of  popular  imagination,  which,  after 
the  tremendous  enthusiasm  over  Nansen's  return,  neces- 
sarily underwent  a  reaction. 

The  men  who  accompanied  Nansen  were  Captain  Otto 
Neumann  Sverdrup,  born  October  31,  1855,  in  Bindalen  ; 
Lieutenant  Oluf  Christian  Dietrichson,  born  May  31, 
1856,  in  Skogn,  near  Levanger ;  Christian  Christiansen 
Trana,  born  February  16,  1865,  at  the  farm  of  Trana,  near 
Stenkjoer ;  besides  the  two  Lapps,  Samuel  Johannesen 
Balto,  aged  27,  and  Ola  Nilsen  Ravna,  aged  45.  All 
these  names  have  become  historical.  To  the  two  first- 
mentioned  in  particular  a  great  share  in  the  credit  of  the 
expedition  is  due.  The  whoU  civilized  world  is  indebted 
to  them,  and  Nansen  most  of  all.  "  People  are  very 
ready,"  he  says  in  the  preface  to  "  The  First  Crossing  of 
Greenland,"  "  to  heap  the  whole  blame  of  an  unsuccessful 
expedition,  but  also  the  whole  honor  of  a  successful  one, 
upon  the  shoulders  of  the  leader.  This  is  particularly 
unfair  in  the  case  of  such  an  expedition  as  the  present, 
where  the  result  depends  on  absolutely  no  one  falling 
short,  on  every  one  filling  his  place  entirely  and  at  every 
point." 

For  the  lives  of  all  these  men  Nansen  had  now  assumed 
the  responsibility,  so  far  as  the  planning  and  management 


(.■' 


NANS£N':S   GREENLAND  EXJEDJT/ON 


49 


of  tlie  journey  was  concerned ;  and  his  responsibility 
began  with  the  outfit.  With  regard  to  this  essential  mat- 
ter, all  the  qualifies  we  have  been  dwelling  upon  would 
have  been  of  no  avail  had  he  not  possessed  one  other  of 
the  first  importance.  He  was  accustomed  to  see  things 
for  himself.  He  was  an  observer  not  only  in  the  domain 
of  science,  but  also  in  that  of  practical  life.  As  a  boy,  he 
pulled  the  sewing-machine  to  pieces  to  see  how  it  was 
made,  and  as  a  young  man  he  had  gone  deeply  into  the 
question  of  the  nutritive  value  of  the  various  food-stuffs. 
He  had  an  eminently  practical  and  mechanical  talent ; 
and  he  had  been  born  with  the  instinct  of  the  Youn<jrest 
Son  in  the  fairy  tale,  for  picking  up  a  magpie's  wing 
whenever  he  came  across  it,  since  you  never  could  tell 
when  it  mii>ht  come  in  useful."  No  doubt  he  had  learned 
much  in  his  brief  consultations  with  Nordenskjold,  whose 
numerous  expeditions  had  always  been  conspicuous  for 
their  careful  and  excellent  equipment.  But  the  expediticin 
now  in  hand  must  be  set  about  on  an  entirely  original 
plan,  since  they  were  to  have  neither  reindeer  nor  dogs, 
but  were  themselves  to  be  their  own  beasts  of  burden  and 
drag  every  crumb  of  food  and  every  instrument.  Now 
was  the  time  to  act  up  to  the  Nansen  motto,  "  To  require 
little."  The  thing  was  to  ascertain  what  food-stuffs  com- 
bine a  maximum  of  nourishment  with  a  minimum  Of 
weight ,  and  equally  important  was  the  consideration  of 
the  means  of  transport  to  be  employed.  The  lightness 
of  everything  was  the  cardinal  point  which  distinguished 
the  Nansen  expedition  from  all  others.  Lightness  became 
a  study,  an  art.  Nansen  brooded  on  the  problem  by  day, 
and  dreamed  of  it  at  night.  Like  Macbeth,  he  was 
haunted  with  visions  of  insubstantial  tollekuivs  (sheath 
knives). 
4 


50 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Everytliing  was  minutely  criticised,  from  the  raw  mate- 
rial up  to  the  finished  product.  Many  of  the  most  impor- 
tant articles  Nansen  designed  for  himself.  From  his 
detailed  description  of  the  outfit  we  reproduce  in  a  few 
words  the  essential  points  ■  Five  specially  constructed 
band  -  sledges  of  ash,  with  broad  steel  -  plated  runners. 
These  sledges  were  about  9  ft.  6  in.  long  by  i  ft.  8  in. 
broad,  yet  weighed,  with  the  steel  runners,  only  a  little 
over  28  lbs.  They  were  so  excellently  made  that  in  spite 
of  the  tremendous  wear  and  tear  they  were  subjected  to 
not  one  of  them  broke.  Next  came  Norwegian  snow- 
shoes  {ski)  of  the  most  careful  make,  as  well  as  Canadian 
snow-shoes  and  Norwegian  wickerwork  truger.  The  last 
were  used  particularly  in  ascending  the  outer  slope  of 
the  ir  land  ice,  and  on  wet  snow  where  ski  were  useless. 
The  tent  was  furnished  by  Lieutenant  Ryder,  of  Copen- 
hagen. It  was  just  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 
two  sleeping-bags  side  by  side  upon  the  floor.  The  dress 
of  the  party  consisted  of  a  thin  woollen  vest  and  woollen 
drawers ;  over  the  vest  a  thick  Iceland  jersey ;  and  for 
outer  garments,  jacket,  knickerbockers  and  thick  snow- 
socks  on  the  legs,  all  made  of  Norwegian  homespun.  For 
windy  and  snowy  weather  they  had  an  outer  dress  of  thin 
sail-cloth.  Their  foot-gear  consisted  of  boots  with  pitched 
seams  and  Lapland  iauparsko,  a  sort  of  moccasin.  On 
their  heads  they  wore  woollen  caps  and  hoods  of  home- 
spun, woollen  gloves  on  their  hands,  and  in  extreme  cold 
an  extra  pair  of  dogskin  gloves.  For  their  eyes  they  had 
snow-spectacles,  some  of  smoke-colored  glass  with  baskets 
of  steel-wire  network,  some  of  black  wood  with  horizontal 
slits. 

The  provisions  consisted  mainly  of  pemmican,  meat- 


NANSEA^'S   GREENLAND   EXPEDITION 


powder  chocolate,  calf-liver  pate,  a  Swedish  biscuit  known 
as  kndkkcbrdd,  meat  biscuits,  butter,  dried  halibut,  a  little 
cheese,  pea-soup  powder,  chocolate,  and  condensed  milk. 
They  took  two  double-barrelled  guns  for  replenishing 
their  larder.  The  cooking  apimratus  was  a  spirit-burning 
contrivance  devised  by  Nansen  and  a  chemist  named 
Schmelck,  upon  which  they  expended  much  labor.  No 
spirits  for  consumption;  some  tea,  a  little  coffee,  a  little 
tobacco.  On  the  other  hand,  an  abundance  of  scientific 
instruments.  And,  to  complete  the  list,  tarpaulins,  which 
on  the  inland  ice  were  sometimes  used  as  sails ;  bamboo 
poles ;  and  a  quantity  of  tools  and  small  necessaries  of 
various  kinds  from  matches  and  a  few  candles  down  to 
darning-needles  —  everything  of  course  as  light  as  pos- 
sible. 

In  only  one  single  respect  did  this  equipment  prove 
inadequate.  The  pemmican,  which  should  have  been  the 
staple  of  their  diet,  had  in  the  course  of  manufacture 
been  deprived  of  all  fat,  and  Nansen  did  not  discover  the 
fact  until  the  last  moment.  The  result  was  that  they  suf- 
fered after  a  while  from  "  fat-hunger,  of  which  no  one  who 
has  not  experienced  it  can  form  any  idea."  Even  during 
the  last  days,  when  they  had  as  much  dried  meat  as  they 
wanted,  they  did  not  feel  satisfied. 

How  easy  it  would  have  been  in  this  terra  incognita 
for  the  outfit  to  have  fallen  short  in  ether  respects !  For 
one  thing,  no  one  in  the  least  foresaw  that  the  expedition 
would,  at  this  time  of  the  year,  be  exposed  to  such  severe 
cold  as  was  found  to  prevail  on  the  inland  ice.  It  was  a 
new  and  unknown  meteorological  phenomenon  which  the 
expedition  encountered.  If  Nansen  had  chosen  woollen 
sleeping-bags  instead  of  those  of  reindeer-skin,  which  he 


* 


I'  '^i 


I 


l/ll    1 


ll 


5» 


A'AA'SJSJV  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


at  last  determined  on,  he  and  his  comrades,  as  he  himself 
admits,  would  scarcely  have  reached  the  west  coast  alive. 

Yes,  a  great  deal  might  have  happened  ;  but  luck  was 
on  Hansen's  side.  His  good  genius  was  very  active  in  all 
that  concerned  this,  his  first  great  undertaking.  But  in 
the  last  analysis,  no  doubt,  the  man  who  has  "  the  luck 
on  his  side  "  is  he  who  shows  capacity,  foresight,  genius, 
and  does  not  pit  himself  against  forces  which  are  in  the 
nature  of  things  unconquerable. 

We  cannot  conclude  these  lines  on  the  preparations  for 
the  Greenland  expedition  without  mentioning  that  Nan- 
sen  was  in  constant  communication  with  one  of  the  most 
notable  of  the  explorers  of  Greenland,  Dr.  H.  Rink.  One 
service  that  Rink  certainly  rendered  him  was  to  throw 
into  strong  relief  the  perils  of  the  expedition,  although 
there  were  moments  when  the  enfeebled  and  ner'  )usly 
conscientious  old  man  reproached  himself  with  not  having 
dwelt  on  them  suf^ciently.  "  Rink  at  first  regarded  the 
plan,"  his  wife  writes  to  us,  "  as  a  mere  romantic  fancy. 
The  more  he  pondered  over  it,  and  the  more  he  became 
attached  to  the  man  who  was  to  carry  it  out,  the  more 
perilous  did  it  become  in  his  eyes,  until  at  last  he  blamed 
himself  severely  for  not  having,  in  the  course  of  all  their 
discussions,  painted  in  strong  enough  colors  the  dangers 
to  which  he  believed  the  expedition  would  be  exposed. 
So,  expressly  on  this  account,  we  invited  Nansen  to  pay 
us  another  visit.  That  evening  we  spent  for  the  most 
part  in  looking  at  pictures  of  Greenland,  in  a  quieter  and 
more  serious  frame  of  mind,  on  the  whole,  than  on  pre- 
vious occasions,  when  there  had  been  a  vast  amount  of 
jesting  over  the  chances  (cannibalism  not  excepted)  that 
might  befall  the  expedition  on  the  ice  fields.     On  these 


4 


NANSEN'S   GREENLAND  EXrEDITION 


hi 


occasions  everybody  used  to  laugh  very  heartily,  except 
Rink.  And  I  remember  I  had  to  bear  all  the  blame  of 
this  imseemly  conduct  after  the  party  broke  up." 

In  Rink's  house,  too,  they  used  to  take  lessons  in 
Eskimo,  when  time  permitted.  Sverdrup  tried  it  first ; 
but  he  could  not  i>:et  his  tongue  round  the  Greenland 
idiom.  Dietrichson  was  good  at  it.  "  Curiously  enough," 
writes  Mrs.  Rink,  "  I  had  pitched  upon  these  two  as  the 
predestined  spokesmen  of  the  expedition,  and  did  not 
offer  to  give  Nanseu  any  lessons.  Whereupon  he  said, 
as  though  a  little  hurt:  'Mayn't  I  try  too.?'  —  and  he 
went  at  it  with  the  earnestness  and  perseverance  that  are 
such  charming  traits  in  his  character.  How  remarkably 
he  succeeded  in  picking  up  the  language,  the  Eskimos 
themselves  bear  witness." 

The  last  evening  Nansen  was  at  Rink's  house,  Mrs. 
Rink  accompanied  him  to  the  door.  "  I  said,"  she  writes, 
"  what  had  often  occurred  to  me,  '  You  must  go  to  the 
North  Pole,  too,  some  day.'  He  answered  emphatically, 
as  though  he  had  long  ago  made  up  his  mind  on  the 
])oint,  '  I  mean  to.'  " 


RAVNA 


CHRtSTIANSRN 


NitNSEN  bIBTRICHSON  SVERDRUP 

THE   MEMBERS    OF  THE   CJREENLAND    EXPEDITION 


CHAPTER    IV 


ACROSS    GREENLAND 

On  May  2,  1888,  Nansen  started  from  Christiania,  by 
way  of  Copenhagen  and  London,  for  Leith,  where  he 
was  to  meet  the  rest  of  the  party,  who  had  gone,  with 
the  whole  outfit,  from  Christiansand  direct  to  Scotland. 

From  Scotland  they  proceeded  to  Iceland  by  the 
Danish  steamer  Thyra.  Not  until  June  4  did  they  join 
the  sealer  yason  (Captain  M.  Jacobsen),  which  was  to 
carry  them  over  to  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  —  under 
the  express  stipulation,  however,  that  the  vessel  should 
not  be  hindered  in  its  sealing  operations  for  the  sake  of 
landing  the  party. 


i 


A  en  OSS  GREENLAND 


55 


On  Monday,  June  ii,thcy  had  their  first  ghnipsc  of 
the  cast  coast  of  Grcenhmd,  sighting  the  high  ruggjd 
peaks  north  of  Cape  Dan  at  about  the  latitude  where,  in 
1883,  Nordenskjold  had  succeeded  in  getting  through 
the  drift  ice  with  tlie  Sophia.  The  ice  belt  between  the 
vessel  and  the  coast  proved,  however,  to  be  still  so  wide 
(from  nine  to  ten  miles  of  rough  ice)  as  to  render  any 
attempt  to  reach  the  land  unadvisable  for  the  present. 
They  had  to  wait  about  a  month  for  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity of  leaving  the  Jason,  which  was  bound  to  remain  in 
the  region  where  the  seal-hunting  was  likely  to  be  good. 
Meanwhile,  Nansen  acted  as  "doctor"  to  the  whole  fleet 
of  sealers,  and  had  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience  until 
the  sealing  season  was  practically  over. 

Finally,  on  the  morning  of  July  17,  the  Jason  was  so 
near  land  (about  2\  miles  from  the  coast  near  Sermi- 
likfjord,  at  65 1°  N.  lat.)  that  Nansen  determined  to  force 
a  passage  i-hrough  the  comparatively  narrow  belt  of  drift 
ice. 

The  boat  belonging  to  the  expedition,  and  a  smaller 
one  which  the  captain  of  the  Jason  had  placed  at  their 
disposal,  were  therefore  lowered,  the  baggage  packed  and 
stowed  in  the  boats,  and  every  preparation  promptly 
made.  At  7  r.  m.  all  was  ready  for  a  start.  Nansen  went 
up  into  the  crow's-nest  for  a  last  survey  of  the  course, 
and  saw  plainly,  with  the  aid  of  the  glass,  a  belt  of  open 
water  between  the  drift  ice  and  the  shore. 

"  We  are  taking  to  our  boats  with  the  firmest  hope  of 
a  successful  issue  to  our  enterprise,"  Nansen  wrote  in  a 
letter  to  the  "  Morgenblad  "  hastily  scribbled  at  the  last 
moment. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  their  hopefulness  was,  at  the 


56 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I 


!i: 


I 


very  outset,  to  be  put  to  a  severe  test.  After  they  had 
tried  the  whole  night  loni;,  in  storm  and  rain,  to  get 
through  the  drift  ice  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  SermiHk- 
fjord,  the  ice  became  so  packed  by  tlie  current  that,  in 
the  early  morning,  they  had  to  drag  their  boats  up  on  the 
floes.  One  of  the  boats  was  injured  by  the  jjressure  of 
the  ice,  so  that  it  had  to  be  repaired  in  hot  haste;  and 
during  the  short  time  lost  in  doing  this  they  were  caught 
in  a  strong  southerly  current,  and  swept  seaward  again 
at  a  great  speed.  At  six  o'clock  on  the  19th  they  found 
that  they  were  already  twice  as  far  from  land  as  when 
they  had  left  the  shij). 

There  was  nothincr  for  it  but  to  drift  southward  with 
the  ice  until  an  opportunity  should  offer  of  getting  in 
under  the  land  a^ain. 

For  ten  days  the  expedition  drifted  along  the  cast  coast 
of  Greenland  as  far  down  as  the  island  of  Kudtlek,  61° 
40'  N.  lat.,  at  an  average  rate  of  nearly  six  knots  in  the 
twenty-four  hou'"s.  Quite  apart  from  the  very  serious 
dangers  to  which  Nansen  and  his  comrades  were  exposed 
during  this  drift  voyage,  the  expedition  was  carried  a  long 
way  from  its  projected  starting-point,  and  had  lost  a  great 
deal  of  very  precious  time.  It  was  not  till  July  29  that 
they  succf  ded  in  setting  foot  on  dry  land,  and  thus  the 
best  part  of  the  summer  was  already  gone. 

Nansen  has  given  a  vivid  description  of  this  interesting 
drift  voyage,  and  of  life  on  the  ice  floe,  which,  tossed  about 
by  the  waves  and  breakers,  and  repeatedly  cracked  and 
broken,  was  yet  the  abiding-place  of  the  expedition  during 
all  these  days.^  With  the  mountains  of  the  coast  so  near 
that  in  bright  weather  they  could  clearly  distinguish  their 

1  For  description,  see  next  chapter. 


ll! 


P  ->u\ 


</ 


sed 


r, 

r 


c. 


,nd 


S8 


NANSEN  JN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


v\ 


i 


IH 


outlines,  they  were  steadily  borne  southward,  farther  and 
farther  from  their  goal. 

The  night  of  July  20  might  easily  have  been  their  last. 
The  ice  floe  on  which  they  were  drifting  had  come  right 
out  to  the  verge  of  the  open  sea,  which  was  running  very 
high,  so  that  the  surf  kept  on  washing  over  the  Hoe  almost 
up  to  the  tent.  Had  the  floe  been  crushed,  they  might 
very  likely  have  found  it  impo  ;sible  to  launch  the  boats  in 
such  a  furious  sea,  and  among  the  clashing  masses  of  ice. 
In  any  case  they  could  not  have  saved  more  than  one  of 
the  boats,  and  the  most  indispensable  part  of  the  provi- 
sions and  equipment.  One  scarcely  knows  which  to 
admire  the  most,  —  Sverdrup,  who  kept  the  night  watch, 
pacing  calm  and  composed,  with  his  quid  in  his  cheek,  up 
and  down  the  floe,  between  the  tent  and  the  boats,  many 
times  on  the  point  of  loosening  the  hooks  of  the  tent-flap 
to  make  them  all  turn  out,  but  always  staying  his  hand ; 
or  Nansen  and  Dietrichson,  who  lay  quietly  asleep  in  the 
tent,  while  the  surf  roared  and  rattled  the  ice-brash  over 
the  rocking  floe,  and  swept  ever  nearer  and  nearer  until  it 
lapped  the  very  edge  of  the  tent.  But  just  as  the  outlook 
was  blackest,  the  floe  suddenly  changed  its  course,  headed 
shoreward  once  more  "  as  if  guided  by  an  unseen  hand," 
and  was  soon  in  safer  waters. 

Nansen  and  his  companions  had  a  hard  time  of  it 
during  these  perilous,  exciting  days  on  the  ice  floe.  They 
did  not  so  much  mind  their  toil  in  the  rain  and  surf,  fruit- 
lessly striving  to  force  a  passage  through  openings  in  the 
ice  pack ;  they  did  not  so  much  mind  their  scanty  diet  of 
raw  horse-flesh,  etc.  (the  cooking  apparatus  was  only  once 
lighted  during  their  days  of  drifting);  they  did  not  so 
much  mind  the  dangers  that  threatened  them  on  every 


It 


^CA'OSS   GRKEXLAND 


59 


hand  ;  but  they  ch-cudcd  the  prospect  of  having  to  give  up 
for  that  season  the  journey  across  the  inland  ice.  Tliese 
wasted  (hiys  were  trying  days  indeed. 

When  the  news  of  tlie  success  of  the  expechtion 
reached  Stockhohii,  Nordenskjcild  pointed  out,  as  the 
strongest  proof  of  tlie  achiiirabie  energy  displayed  during 
the  entire  j>)urney,  that  when  at  last  they  had  got  through 
the  belt  of  tlrift  ice  they  instantly  set  to  work  to  row 
northward  again,  in  order  to  reach  the  proper  point  for 
attacking  the  ice  sheet.  They  had,  in  a  way,  made  an 
unfortunate  and  discouraging  start.  It  was  already  well 
on  in  the  sunnner,  the  suj)i)ly  of  provisions  was  not  over- 
abundant, and  —  civilization  was,  moreover,  within  tempt- 
ingly easy  reach.  'J'hey  were  now  only  i8o  miles  from 
the  nearest  colony,  P'rederiksdal,  while  the  Sermilikfjord, 
the  starting-i)oint  originally  fixed  upon,  was  nearly  twice 
as  distant.  The  mere  fact  of  their  resisting  the  tempta- 
tion to  put  off  till  the  following  year  may  be  called  truly 
heroic ;  not  many  would  have  shown  such  resolution. 
But  for  them  the  temptation  was  no  temptation  at  all.  It 
did  not  enter  their  thoughts  that  there  was  anything  to 
be  done  except  to  head  the  boats  northward  as  quickly 
as  possible.  And  it  was  not  with  anxious  fear,  but  with 
radiant  joy,  that  they  now  saw  a  clear  water-way  before 
them. 

The  first  problem,  that  of  getting  through  the  drift  ice 
with  whole  skins,  was  thus  solved  —  with  great  labo-,  it  is 
true,  and  loss  of  precious  time,  but  nevertheless  solved. 
It  had  been  prophesied  that  even  this  would  prove  im- 
l^racticable  ;  for  a  long  series  of  vain  attempts  had  shown 
that  it  was  next  thing  to  impossible  to  penetrate  the  ice 
belt  south  of  the  sixty-sixth  degree  of  latitude.     Not  until 


Co 


NANS/'IX  /.V    TlfE    /'RO/.EX  WORLD 


i 


i  iiii  \ 


r 


1883  had  Nordcnskjold,  uitli  tlic  stcaniur  Sophia,  suc- 
ceeded in  rcachini;  the  cua.st  near  Cape  Dan  (KIiil;  Oscar's 
I  lawn).  So  nuich  the  more  darini;  was  it  on  Nansen's 
part  to  make  the  attemi)t. 

But  now  the  thing  was  to  make  all  speed  northward. 
The  best  of  the  summer  was  i^one.  If  they  were  to  have 
any  chance  of  reachint;  the  west  coast  that  year,  they 
must  go  at  it  in  earnest.  And  they  did  go  at  it  in 
earnest. 

On  the  day  of  their  landing  at  Kekertarsuak  they  had 
a  lordly  repast  of  hot  chocolate  and  extra  rations  of  oat 
cake,  Swiss  cheese,  mysost  (goat's  milk  cheese),  and  cran- 
berry jam,  to  celebrate  their  landing;  but  after  that  their 
meals  consisted  of  cold  water,  biscuits,  and  dried  beef  — 
they  could  not  waste  time  in  cooking  until  they  had  in 
some  measure  made  uj)  what  they  had  lost  in  the  ice 
drift.  It  was  a  toilsome  journey  by  boat  northward  along 
the  coast.  For  long  distances  they  had  to  exert  all  their 
strength  to  force  the  ice  floes  apart  in  order  to  get  the 
boats  through  the  narrow  channels  between  them;  and 
sometimes  they  had  to  drag  the  boats  over  the  ice,  skirt- 
ing the  low  barren  coast,  with  glaciers  and  snow-fields 
coming  right  down  to  the  margin  of  the  sea.  They  got 
safely  past  ♦:he  dreaded  glacier  Puisortok  (near  it,  at  Cape 
Bille,  they  came  upon  an  encampment  of  heathen  Eski- 
mos, of  which  Nansen  has  given  a  highly  interesting 
description),^  and  they  forced  their  way  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  through  a  closely  packed  belt  of  drift  ice  south 
of  Ingerkajarfik.  At  Mogens  Heinesens  Fjord  the  appear- 
ance of  tlie  coast  altered.  From  this  point  northward 
there  is  a  long  stretch  of  bare  coast  land,  with  a  view  of 

*  See  chapter  vi. 


ACJiOSS  GREENLAND 


6i 


hij^h  mountain  ranges,  "  summit  on  summit,  and  rank  be- 
hind rank." 

Hy  dint  of  constant  battling  with  tlie  drift  ice  and  tiie 
current,  the  expedition  reached  Nunarsuak  (62"  43'  N. 
lat.)  on  August  3.  I^om  this  point  they  tried  to  sail,  but 
the  wind  soon  rose  to  a  tem])est  which  was  near  proving 
fatal,  for  the  boats  were  on  the  point  of  being  crushed 
between  the  ice  floes,  got  their  oars  and  th()Ie-|)ins 
smashed,  and  were  sejjarated  into  the  bargain.  It  was  a 
hard  pinch,  but  by  putting  forth  all  their  strength  they 
got  through  it  at  last,  and  liie  tent  was  pitched  on  a 
patch  of  .soft  greensward  on  (irit'fenfeldt's  Island,  for  the 
highly  needful  repose  after  an  exhausting  day.  A  feast 
of  splendid  hot  caraway  .soup,  "never  to  be  forgotten," 
was  the  reward  for  their  toils. 

On  August  5  the  boats  narrowly  escaped  being 
crushed  by  the  falling  of  a  fragment  of  an  iceberg,  and 
"after  ahnost  incredible  labor"  they  reached  in  the  even- 
ing an  islet  at  the  moutli  of  the  Inugsuarmiutfjord,  where 
they  intended  to  rest  for  the  night.  But  from  here  they 
perceived  that  the  water  was  open  ahead,  the  fjord  lying 
smooth  as  a  mirror;  so  their  rest  had  to  be  adjourned. 
Forward  again  !     They  certainly  did  "  go  at  it  in  earnest." 

At  Singiartuarfik,  on  August  6,  they  again  fell  in  with 
Eskimos.  Then  northward  again,  now  in  ojDcn  water, 
now  fighting  with  drift  ice,  ahvays  on  cold  dry  diet  which 
was  served  out,  moreover,  in  very  scanty  rations.  They 
were  never  really  satisfied,  not  even  directly  after  eating ; 
but  Nansen  said  "  they  had  had  enough,  so  enough  it  had 
to  be,"  as  Christiansen  put  it.  To  the  Lapps,  who  natu- 
rally had  no  very  clear  notion  beforehand  of  what  they 
had    embarked   upon,  this    perpetual    fighting  with    drift 


62 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I 

I 

li 


IK' 


ice,  and  fasting  on  top  of  it,  began  to  seem  rather  de- 
pressing. 

The  coast  now  became  less  precipitous  again,  and  the 
mountain  contours  rounder,  and  the  explorers  began  to 
tliink  of  landing  and  beginning  their  journey  proper. 
On  August  8  they  reached  Bernstorff's  Fjord  (Kangerd- 
lugsuak)  at  about  631°  N.  lat.  The  fjord  was  brimful  of 
glacier  ice,  many  of  the  huge  icebergs  rising  out  of  the 
water  to  a  height  of  over  two  hundred  feet  (six  or  seven 
times  as  much  being  under  water),  and  running  to  a  mile 
or  so  in  breadth,  sometimes  flat-topped,  sometimes  jutting 
forth  into  the  moi^t  fantastic  p^^aks,  pinnacles,  and  crests. 
These  colossal  masses  were  so  innumerable  that  they 
threatened  to  bar  aU  advance.  From  the  top  of  one  of 
them  the  eye  ranged  over  an  "  Alpine  world  of  floating 
ice." 

At  last  chinks  were  discovered  even  in  this  barrier  — 
open  channels  "  with  a  narrow  strip  of  sky  visible  between 
high  walls  of  ice."  And  "  although  huge  icebergs  more 
than  once  collapsed,  or  capsized  with  a  mighty  crash,  and 
set  up  a  violent  sea-way,"  here,  too,  they  at  last  got  out  of 
their  difficulties  for  the  moment.  That  night  they  slept 
in  the  sleeping-bags  only,  upon  a  rock  so  small  that  there 
was  not  room  to  pitch  the  tent. 

In  a  more  and  more  open  water-way  they  pressed  on 
northward,  with  masses  of  ice  breaking  off  from  the 
glaciers  and  icebergs  on  every  side.  On  August  9,  while 
they  were  in  the  act  of  forcing  asunder  two  floes,  among 
a  number  of  icebergs,  a  huge  piece  of  an  iceberg  fell 
down  with  a  mighty  crash  upon  the  floe  they  were  stand- 
ing on,  smashing  it  and  violently  churning  up  the  sea. 
"  Had  we  gone  to  that  side  a  few  moments  earlier,  as  we 


ACROSS   GREENLAND 


63 


•e 


originally  intended,  we  should  almost  certainly  have  been 
crushed  to  death.  It  was  the  third  time  such  a  thing  had 
happened  to  us,"  Nansen  says  in  his  account  of  the  expe- 
dition, characteristically  describing  it  as  "an  odd  occur- 
rence." Well  may  it  be  called  "  odd  "  !  How  does  it  hap- 
pen that  some  men  come  safe  and  sound  through  all  such 
adventures ;  go  voyages  on  ice  floes  and  sleep  undisturbed 
while  the  surf  is  on  the  point  of  breaking  up  the  fragile 
barrier  between  them  and  eternity ;  row  in  boats  under 
toppling  icebergs,  and  get  clear  of  them  two  minutes  be- 
fore they  fall ;  plump  into  fissures  in  the  inland  ice  at  the 
very  points  where  their  arms  and  their  alpenstocks  can 
save  them ;  row  for  days  in  dangerous  waters  in  nutshell 
boats  improvised  out  of  sail-cloth,  and  get  in  just  in  time 
to  escape  storms  and  certain  destruction ;  sleep  on  the  ice 
in  a  temperature  of  — 45°  C.  ( — 49°  Fahr.)  without  freezing 
to  death ;  fall  into  the  ice-cold  water  half  a  score  of  times 
not  only  without  drowning,  but  without  so  much  as  taking 
cold ;  lead  a  dog's  life  of  toil  and  hunger  for  months  at  a 
stretch,  and  come  out  none  the  worse  for  it ;  while  others 
—  alas !  one  has  no  heart  to  insist  on  the  contrast.  But 
truly  it  may  well  be  called  "  odd" ! 

Let  us  admit  that  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  this  "devil's 
own  luck  "  is  due  to  having  an  eye  on  every  finger,  so  to 
speak  —  is  due  to  the  sound  mind  in  the  sound  body  — 
to  the  alert  capacity  of  genius  —  to  the  indomitable  energy 
of  the  man  with  a  vocation.  Granted  all  this,  how  are  we 
to  account  for  the  remaining  hundredth  ? 

These  Greenland  explorers  are  in  league  with  destiny  ! 

When  Njaal  and  his  sons  were  hard  bestead,  Njaal  would 
have  had  them  give  in  ;  and  one  of  the  sons  agreed  with 
him  that  that  was  "  the  best  they  could  do."     Whereupon 


64 


NANSEJV  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Skarphcdin  answered  :  "  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,  for  now 
he  is  fey."  The  Saga-man  would  have  us  understand  that 
he  who  is  "  fey,"  who  is  marked  for  death,  lias  no  longer 
complete  control  of  his  will  and  his  intelligence. 

These  young  men  were  not  "fey"  in  any  sense  of  the 
word/ 

They  now  pressed  forward  in  tolerably  open  water  past 
the  glacier-bound  coast  near  Gyldenlove's  Fjord  and  Col- 
berger  Heide,  and  at  last,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
of  August  lo,  in  a  thick  fog,  they  made  their  final  land- 
ing on  the  north  side  of  Umiviksfjord.  They  were  now 
done  with  the  boats,  and  were  overjoyed  to  haul  them  up 
on  land,  Nansen  meanwhile  making  the  roffee  "  for  the 
second  hot  meal  in  twelve  days." 


f; 


W 


After  Nansen  ind  Sverdrup  had  assured  themselves,  by 
a  laborious  reconnaissance  on  August  1 1,  that  it  was  pos- 
sible to  make  the  ascent  of  the  inland  ice  from  Umivik, 
the  following  days  were  devoted  to  all  kinds  of  repairs 
of  foot-gear,  sledge-runners,  etc.,  the  final  packing  of  the 
baggage,  and,  in  short,  the  most  careful  preparation  for 
the  journey  that  lay  before  them.  During  all  tliese  days 
the  weather  was  mild  and  calm,  with  a  great  deal  of  rain 
—  weather  in  which  it  would  not  in  any  case  have  been 
advisable  to  make  a  start. 

At  last,  at  nine  in  the  evening  on  August  i6,  every- 
thin<j:  was  in  order  for  the  ascent.  The  baofsao-e  was 
stowed  on  four  sledges,  each  carrying  about  220  lbs.,  and 
a  fifth,  somewhat  larger  sledge,  carrying  about  double  that 
amount.  This  last  was  therefore  drawn  by  two  men, 
Nansen  and  Sverdrup. 

•  The  word  in  tlie  original  is  "  feig,"  which   means  rot  only  "  fey,"   but 
"  cowardly." 


ACROSS   GREENLAND 


65 


The  ascent  of  the  ice  was  very  steep,  so  that  their  pro- 
gress was  slow,  and,  although  they  at  first  travelled  by 
night,  the  surface  was  soft.  The  ice  was  full  of  crevasses, 
yet  not  so  difficult  but  that  they  could  manage  to  get 
across  them.  It  rained  a  good  deal,  too,  so  that  they  were 
wet  to  the  skin.  For  three  days  and  nights,  from  noon 
on  the  17th  till  the  morning  of  the  20th,  the  weather  was 
so  execrable,  with  torrents  of  rain  and  wind,  that  there 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  keep  to  tlie  tent.  They  were 
not  very  agreeable  days,  especially  as  the  supply  of  provi- 
sions was  so  small  that  Nansen  decided  that  one  meal  a 
day  must  suffice  while  they  were  doing  nothing. 

On  the  20th  they  were  able  to  start  off  again.  It  was 
frightfully  slow  going,  over  the  steep  surface,  full  of  rents 
and  fissures.  On  the  21st  it  cleared  up,  and  there  was 
frost  enough  to  make  the  snow  firmer.  I'rom  that  day 
till  they  reached  the  west  coast  they  found  no  drinking 
water  anywhere,  and  consequently  suffered  from  a  burn- 
\x\<y  thirst.  While  on  the  march  they  <j;ot  nothinir  to  drink 
but  just  what  they  could  melt  by  the  warmth  of  their  own 
bodies.  They  filled  small  flat  pocket-flasks  with  snow  and 
carried  them  in  their  breasts,  often  next  the  skin,  until  the 
snow  was  melted.  In  such  intense  cold  as  they  encoun- 
tered later,  these  were  hard-earned  drops. 

When  they  turned  out  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  2  2cl,  they  found  a  frozen  surface.  The)-  were  now 
at  a  height  of  about  3,000  feet,  and  thought  they  had  got 
over  the  worst  of  the  ascent.  I^ut  the  ice  was  still  very 
uneven,  and  the  labor  of  dragging  along  the  heavy  sledges 
was  terrible  —  "the  strain  on  the  upj^er  part  of  the  body 
was  very  trying,  and  our  shoulders  felt  as  if  they  were 
burned  by  the  ropes." 


66 


A.LVSy-LV  /.V  THE    FKO/.KN  IVOKI.D 


From  the  24th  onward  they  traxcllcd  by  day.  The 
cold  now  bei^an  to  increase  niiiidly.  Nevertheless,  except 
for  a  single  day,  the  surface  was  still,  as  a  rule,  extremely 
heavy,  on  account  of  the  loose  snow  into  which  the 
sledt^es  sank  deep  ;  and  on  the  26th  they  had,  in  addition, 
a  reijjular  snow-storm.  The  ascent  was  still  so  steep  (a 
gradient,  sometimes,  of  i  in  4)  that  it  would  often  take 
three  men  to  \i\\\\  each  sledge,  so  that  they  had  to  cover 
the  liround  several  times  over.  No  wonder  that  Chris- 
tiansen,  who,  as  a  rule,  never  opened  his  mouth,  should 
have  said  to  I  )ietrichs()n  after  one  of  these  return  jour- 
neys :  "  Ciood  Lord!  to  think  of  people  being  so  cruel 
to  themselves  as  to  iro  in  for  this  sort  of  thinii."  The 
exi)edition  had  then  reached  a  height  of  about  6,000  feet. 

This  weather,  with  wind  and  snow-flurries,  continued 
during  the  following  days.  Although  they  tried  to  make 
use  of  the  wind  by  rigging  u])  tarpaulin  sails  on  the 
sledges,  they  nevertheless  got  on  so  slowly  that  it  began 
to  dawn  on  Nansen  that,  at  this  rate,  there  would  be  small 
prospect  of  reaching  Christianshaab  now  that  the  season 
was  so  far  advanced.  On  the  28th,  therefore,  he  deter- 
mined to  take  a  different  direction,  and  steer  due  west,  for 
Godthaab,  or  rather  for  the  shores  of  the  Ameralikfjord 
(64°  10'),  directly  south  of  Godthaab,  a  considerably  nearer 
point  on  the  west  coast.  This  proposition  was  received 
with  joy  by  exery  one,  and  they  set  off  through  the  snow 
with  the  same  unremitting  toil,  although  in  a  slightly  dif- 
ferent direction. 

The  |)rojecting  jjcaks  (nunataks)  which,  up  to  this  point, 
they  had  passed  from  time  to  time,  now  disappeared  ;  the 
last  glimpse  of  l->are  rock  was  seen  on  August  31.  After 
that  nothing  but  ice  and  snow  met  their  view  until  they 
reached  the  west  coast. 


ACROSS   GREENLAND 


67 


The 


tly  clif- 

point, 
[l;  the 

After 
11  they 


Still  their  course  lay  steadily  upward.  The  snow-field 
rose  in  long,  gentle  waves,  higher  and  higher  toward  the 
interior. 

lH)r  weeks  they  fought  their  way  inland  in  this  fashion, 
one  day  exactly  resembling  another,  and  full  of  endless 
toil  from  niorninsj:  till  niijht.  The  surface  of  the  snow 
was  now  smooth  and  even  as  a  mirror,  broken  only  by 
the  tracks  they  themselves  made  with  their  feet  or  their 
sledges.  The  snow,  frec[uently  fresh-fallen,  was,  as  a  rule, 
fine  and  dry,  and  tlierefore  exceptionally  heavy  to  drag 
the  sledges  through.  The  day's  march  under  these  con- 
ditions was  not  long  —  not  more  than  from  five  to  ten 
miles,  although  they  were  now  able  to  use  snow-shoes. 

As  they  advanced  the  cold  became  more  and  more 
severe.  When  the  weather  was  fine,  indeed,  the  midday 
sun  was  often  quite  ojDj^ressive,  and  their  feet  would  get 
wet  in  the  slush  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  sun  went  down,  they 
felt  the  cold  of  the  nights  so  much  the  more  keenly  — 
and  they  w^ere  often  in  danger  of  having  their  wet  feet 
frost-bitten.  "  It  often  happened,  when  we  came  to  take 
off  our  lau]3ar-shoes  of  an  evening,  that  we  foiuid  them 
frozen  fast  in  one  solid  piece  with   snow-sock  and  stock- 


mg. 


On  September  11,  the  temperature  at  night  within  the 
tent  was  under  —40'  C.  ( — 40°  Fahr.),  and  outside  the  tent 
probably  under  —45°  C.  ( — 49°  Fahr.).  The  difference  be- 
tween the  day  and  the  night  temperature  was  often  more 
than  20°  C.  (36°  Fahr.).  Even  inside  the  closed  sleeping- 
bag,  the  cold  was  so  severe  that  when  they  awakened  they 
would  often  find  their  heads  completely  surrounded  with 
ice  and  hoar  frost.  "  To  be  obliged  to  be  out  constantly 
in  such  cold  is  not  always  agreeable,"  says  Nansen  in  his 


68 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


book.  "  It  often  hai^pcncd  that  so  much  ice  formed  about 
the  face  tliat  the  beard  was  absokitely  frozen  fast  to  the 
wrajjpings  round  the  liead,  and  it  was  difficult  enout^li  to 
open  the  mouth  to  speak."  When  in  addition  to  the  frost 
there  came  a  snow-storm,  we  can  readily  understand  that 
it  was  no  joke  for  them  to  drag  themselves,  each  with  a 
heavy  sledge,  day  after  day  across  the  interminable  ice 
desert,  at  an  altitude  of  8,000  or  9,000  feet  above  the  sea. 
From  September  4  to  8  they  encountered  a  furious  snow- 
storm, with  a  temperature  of  — 40°  Fahr.  On  the  7th,  in- 
deed, they  dared  not  stir  from  their  tent,  which  was  care- 
fully hauled  taut,  lest  the  w'nd  should  blow  it  to  shreds  — 
in  which  case,  no  doubt,  their  saga  would  have  been  over. 
But  when  it  was  at  all  possible  their  daily  life  followed  its 
regular  course;  and  in  spite  of  cold  and  snow-storm,  thirst, 
"  fat  hunger,"  and  other  hardships,  they  toiled  steadily  on 
toward  the  west  coast.  On  September  5  they  passed  the 
highest  point  on  their  route,  8,860  feet. 

On  September  1 1  and  1 2  they  were  at  a  height  of  about 
8,300  feet;  and  from  here  began  a  perceptible,  if  not  a 
very  marked,  down  gradient  toward  the  west.  On  the 
1 6th  they  came  upon  several  pretty  sharp  declivities,  and 
when  the  temperature  at  night  "  just  failed  to  reach  zero  " 
they  all  felt  that  it  was  quite  mild. 

On  the  17th  they  saw  a  snow-bunting,  and  knew  they 
must  now  be  nearinsf  "  land." 

On  the  19th  they  had  a  favorable  wind,  and  hoisted 
sails  on  the  sledges,  which  they  lashed  together,  two  and 
two.  They  were  soon  going  at  a  spanking  pace,  and 
now  at  last  they  were  distinctly  upon  the  downward  slope 
toward  the  coast.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they  saw  "  land  " 
for  the  first  time.     They  went  on  sailing  in  the  moonlight, 


ACROSS   GREENLAND 


Oc; 


and  very  nearly  sailed  their  last  voyage,  for  the)-  had  now- 
reached  the  fissured  marginal  zone  of  the  inland  ice,  with 
its  yawning  crevasses  many  hundred  feet  deep. 

Nansen  himself  had  the  fingers  of  both  hands  frost- 
bitten  that  evening,  and  suffered  "almost  intolerable  pain" 
(it  must  have  been  bad  indeed  !).     They  had  little  enough 


UNDI'.i;    SAII,    IN    'I'lIK    MOOM.ICHT —  CKKNASSKS    AIIIAl) 


to  eat,  too ;  but  for  all  this  they  cared  not  a  whit,  for  they 
knew  now  that  they  were  nearing  the  west  coast. 

The  next  morning  (September  20)  when  they  looked 
out  of  the  tent,  and  saw  the  whole  country  south  of  Godt- 
haabsfjord  spread  out  before  them,  one  can  guess  what 
were  their  feelings.  "  We  were  like  children  —  a  lump 
rose  in  our  throats,  while  our  eyes  followed  the  valleys  and 
sought  in  vain  for  a  gHmpse  of  the  sea." 


70 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


The  next  clay  they  advanced  }3retty  briskly,  althougli 
with  the  iireatest  caution,  on  account  of  the  numerous 
fissures,  among  which  they  had  many  narrow  escapes. 
On  the  eveninti  of  the  21st,  for  the  first  time  since  leavinLi' 
the  east  coast,  they  found  water,  and  after  several  weeks 
of  thirst  were  able  to  drink  freely.  "  We  could  positively 
feel  our  stomachs  distending,"  says  Nansen.  These  were 
memorable  days  for  them  all. 

They  pushed  on  now  toward  Ameralikfjord  ;  but  it  was 
an  advance  under  difificulties.  The  ice  soon  became  terri- 
bly uneven,  and  full  of  cracks  and  crevasses  on  all  sides  — 
sometimes  so  impassable  that  they  had  to  make  long  de- 
tours. Several  times,  one  or  another  of  them  would  fall 
into  a  crevasse,  but  would  generally  manage  to  get  his 
alpenstock  fixed  like  a  horizontal  bar  across  the  fissure. 
"  It  was  odd  enough  that  none  of  us  fell  in  any  deeper." 

In  spite  of  untold  difficulties  and  dangers  they  made 
their  way  during  the  succeeding  days  across  this  treacher- 
ous marginal  zone,  and  at  last,  on  September  24,  reached 
naked  soil,  and  had  the  inland  ice  forever  behind  them. 
"  No  words  can  possibly  describe  what  it  was  to  us  merely 
to  have  earth  and  stones  under  our  feet  —  the  sense  of 
well-being  that  thrilled  through  every  nerve  when  we  felt 
the  heather  springing  under  our  step,  and  smelled  the 
marvellous  fragrance  of  grass  and  moss." 

Their  difficulties,  however,  were  not  yet  over  —  they 
had  still  a  good  way  to  go  down  the  long  Austmannadal, 
and  now  everything  had  to  be  carried  on  their  backs. 
This  final  stage  they  accomplished  in  the  following  days, 
and  at  last  the  fjord  was  reached. 

Here  Sverdrup  and  Balto  set  to  work  to  stitch  together 
the  hull  of  a  canvas  boat,  using  for  the  purpose  the  sail- 


/,' 


ACh'OSS   GRKENI.AM^ 


NANSEN    AND    SVr.RDRri'    IN     TIIK   CANVAS    IIOAT 


cloth  floor  of  tlie  tent ;  wliilc  Nanscn  cut  willow-wands  to 
make  the  frame.  Oars  were  improvised  out  of  bamboo 
staves  and  split  willow-branches  covered  with  sail-cloth. 
For  thwarts  they  had  nothing  but  a  theodolite-stand  and 
two  thin  bamboo  rods. 

It  was  an  uncouth  nutshell  of  a  boat,  about  8  feet  long, 
not  quite  4  feet  6  inches  wide,  and  scarcely  2  feet  deep. 
It  was  just  big  enough  to  hold  Nansen  and  vSverdrup,  and 
the  most  necessary  baggage;  and  they  had  to  keep  their 
tongues  pretty  straight  in  their  mouths,  or  it  would  liave 
capsized. 

After  a  terrible  business  in  getting  boat  and  baggacre 
through  the  river  delta  and  across  a  clayey  spit  of  land  to 
the  open  water,  on  September  29,  Nansen  and  Sverdrup 
at  last  rowed  off  down  the  Ameralikfjord.  Although  the 
boat  could  scarcely  be  classed  as  Ai,  and  leaked  so  that  it 


7» 


NAN^JiN  JN  TJIK  FKOAEN   WORLD 


m 


I*!, 


i 


had  to  be  baled  every  ten  niinute.s,  it  nevertheless  earned 
them  to  their  journey's  end. 

They  had  favorable  weather  on  the  whole,  and,  by  dint 
of  j;reat  exertions,  they  brought  their  coracle  safe  and 
sound  to  New  llerrnhut  at  midday  on  October  3. 
Scarcely  had  they  got  ashore  when  a  terrific  southerly 
jj;ale  came  on.  From  New  llerrnhut  they  went  overland 
to  Ciodthaab. 

I)ietrichs».,p.  Christiansen,  and  the  two  Lapi)s,  who  had 
remained  behind  at  the  head  of  the  Ameralikfjord  with 
the  bulk  of  the  baggage  and  no  great  store  of  provisions, 
were  brought  off  in  safety  as  soon  as  the  weather  ))er- 
mitted;  and  thus,  on  October  16,  did  this  remarkable 
expedition  come  to  a  fortunate  close. 

"We  had  toiled  hard,  and  undeniably  suffered  a  good 
deal  in  order  to  reach  this  ijoal ;  and  what  were  now  our 
sensations,'*  Were  they  those  of  tlie  hap])y  victor.-*  No; 
we  had  looked  forward  so  long  to  the  goal  that  we  had 
discounted  its  attainment."  So  Nansen  writes  of  his  feel- 
ings the  evening  before  they  arrived  at  Ciodthaab.  And 
this  is,  no  doubt,  comj^rehensible  enough.  They  were  too 
tired,  too  worn  out,  for  the  abstract  exultation  at  having 
actually  reached  their  goal  to  be  able  to  assert  itself  effec- 
tually against  the  more  material  delights,  for  example,  of 
eating  till  they  were  satisfied  and  sleeping  in  a  proper 
bed. 

Besides,  the  satisfaction  had  been  broken  up  into  many 
happy  moments  during  the  actual  journey  —  they  had  had 
a  taste  of  it  when,  with  confident  hope,  they  landed  on  the 
east  coast,  after  forcing  their  passage  through  the  drift 
ice ;  they  had  revelled  in  it  when  they  first  saw  land  from 
the  heights  of  the  inland  ice,  when  they  first  found  water 


ICA'OSS   GRI'J'.XLAND 


73 


to  drink,  when  they  (ir^^l  frit  the  soHd  earth,  with  heather 
and  mohs,  under  their  feet,  when  they  hiunchcd  their  boat 
on  the  waves  of  tlie  AnieraHUfjord.  'I'lie  satisfaction 
really  lay  in  the  exploit  as  a  whole,  in  the  stinuilatinij; 
onen-air  lifi-,  toilsome  ihouiih   it  was  —  not  so  nuieh  in  the 


g< 


)al  attained,  as  in  the  struiiule  to  attain  it.     As  soon  as 


that   was  done,  why,   it    was   done;   there   was    no   longer 
anything   to   toil   and    strive   for,   and    lassitude   rushed   in 


ui)( 


)n   theni  until   other  more  distant   'joals  heuan  to  loom 


ahead  in  their  thoughts.  'Ihis,  indeed,  is  what  inevitably 
ha|)i)ens  to  every  man  who  is  really  born  with  the  sj)irit 
of  research.  So  long  as  he  has  strength  and  faculty  for 
new  ])roblems,  his  joy  over  those  achieved  must  be  short- 
lived.     It  must  give  place,  in  the  ferment  of  the  mind,  to 


new  asjJU'ations ;  and  m  INansens  case  these  new  aspn"a- 
tions  were  already  lying  in  wait.  We  may  safely  assume 
that  e\'en  during  his  sta\-  in  Cireenland  the  ])lan  of  his 
next  great  enterprise  must  liave  been  taking  sha])e  in  his 
thoutihts. 


When  the  exj^edition  reached  the  colony,  the  shijj  from 
Godthaab  had  already  started.  Nansen,  however,  got 
kaiak-men  to  take  letters  to  Ivi'>"tut,  seventv  miles  south 
ot  Godthaab.  They  were  duly  delivered,  at  the  last 
moment,  on  board  the  steamer  Fox.  which  had  carried 
McClintock  on  his  voyage  in  search  of  I*"rank]in  ;  and 
thus  the  news  of  the  successful  issue  of  the  Greenland 
expedition  reached  Europe  that  autumn.  It  chanced 
that  the  Fox  was  obliged,  by  scarcity  of  coal,  to  touch  at 
Skudesnces,  so  that  Nansen's  native  country  got  the  first 
intelliijence. 

The    two   letters   brought    by   the   steamer,   one   from 


74 


JV.IAS/CN'  IN  THE   INOZEX    U'ONI.D 


NanscM  to  (iaincl,  the  other  fiom  S\(.T(lrii|)  to  his  father, 
were  soon  telei^raphed  over  the  uiiole  uorld,  and,  as  will 
be  renienihered,  were  evei)  when*  received  witli  i;reat 
rejoiriiiL;. 

Mcanwiiile  Nansen  and  his  comrades  had  to  winter  in 
(iodthaah.  where  I  lerr  P)i>.tni|)s,  the  (Hrec  tor  ol  the  colony, 
Doctor  Hin/ers.  I'astor  JKilles,  and  the  other  Danish 
residents,  showed  them  the  L|;reatest  hos|)ita]ity.  and  did 
everythinL;  to  make  their  stay  as  pleasant  as  possible. 
Nansen  himself  liniud  his  time  to  account  in  studying 
the  I'^skimos.  lie  shared  their  life  with  them  ii.  their 
huts,  went  thoroiii;hly  into  their  methods  of  hunting, 
their  customs  and  oicupations,  and  even  got  to  know 
their  language  pretty  well,  lie  learned  to  manage  the 
kaiak  and  wield  their  wea|)ons;  in  short,  he  s|)ared  no 
possible  |)ains  in  his  study  of  this  remarkable  j)e()ple,  for 
whom  he  soon  came  to  entertain  a  real  affection. 

He  also  made  several  excursions  with  the  (Ireenlanders, 
a  hunting  exjiedition  to  Ameralikfjord,  and  longer  tri|)s 
to  Sardlok  and  Kangek,  during  which  he  lived  for  some 
weeks  entirely  with  the  l^skimos. 

On  April  15,  18S9,  while  Nansen  and  his  comrades  sat 
chatting  over  their  cofTee  with  the  colonial  director  and 
the  doctor,  the  whole  colony  resounded  with  one  universal 
cry,  "  Umiarsuit !  Umiarsuit !  "  (The  ship,  the  shij) !) 
It  was  the  longed-for  vessel,  HviddJ'onum,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Ciarde. 

The  hour  of  departure  had  come,  and  everything  was 
soon  in  order.  "  It  was  not  without  sorrow,"  Nansen 
says,  "  that  some  of  us  turned  our  backs  on  the  people 
who  had  been  so  good  to  us.  and  the  place  where  we  had 
lived  so  happily."     So  far  as  Nansen  himself  is  concerned, 


//( Vi'OAA   GNEEM.AMJ 


•  75 


one  may  be  sure  that  these  words  arc  the  e\i)ressioii  of 
sincere  feelinj;.  A  nature  h'ki-  lii>,  with  it^  hi-allhy 
passion  for  o|)en-air  activity,  nuist  have  been  in  its  ele- 
ment aniont;-  these  kindly  priniitivi'  pi'o])U'.  I  U-  rehites 
a  cliarmingly  characteristic  Httle  incident  of  their  leave- 
takiii''.  One  of  his  l^skimo  friends,  whom  he  had  often 
visited,  said  to  him  tiie  (hiy  before  his  de|)artnre :  "Now 
you  are  i^oiiiL;'  back  to  the  unreal  world  whence  you  came 
to  us,  and  you  will  meet  many  peojjle  there,  and  hea'' 
many  new  things,  and  you  will  soon  forijet  us;  bu(  u^e 
7i'i//  never  foroct  you!' 

Those  who  know  Nansen  know  that  he  has  not  fori;-ot- 
len  his  I'!skimo  friends ;  and  those  who  have  read  his  book 
describini;-  their  life  will  understand  how  dear  they  had 
become  to  him. 

On  May  21,  after  a  favorable  passage, //rvV////';i;'?/^;/ an- 
chored in  the  harbor  of  Copenhagen,  It  was  a  little  more 
than  a  year  since  Nansen,  on  his  way  to  Greenland,  had 
passed  through  Coi)enhagen,  and  put  the  hasty  finishing 
touclies  to  the  prei)arations  for  the  e.\j)edition.  A  great 
deal  liad  hai)i:)ened  in  the  interval.  In  himself,  indeed,  he 
was  just  the  same  when  he  came  back  as  when  he  went 
away  ;  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  he  was  a  very  differ- 
ent person.  Then  he  had  been  a  }'oung  dare-devil  setting 
forth  on  a  forlorn  hope;  now  he  was  the  world-renowned 
explorer  who  liad  successfully  carried  through  a  great  un- 
dertakinir. 

And  then  came  the  triumphs.  First  a  week's  festivi- 
ties in  Copenhagen,  and  then  the  home-coming — such  a 
home-coming  as  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  no  other  Norwe- 
gian. It  was  a  lovely  day  as  the  triumphal  procession 
passed  up  Christiania  Fjord  —  all  the  ships  were  in  festal 


76 


NAXSEN  JN  THE   FKOZKX    IVOKT.D 


array,  tlic  woods  wore  their  first  i;reen  leaves,  there 
were  flowers  and  flags  and  music  on  e\ery  liand,  uj)  the 
whole  long  fjord,  to  the  city.  It  was  as  though  a  flood  of 
color  and  warmth  had  streamed  forth  to  greet  these  vis- 
itants from  the  white  wastes  of  the  inland  ice. 

r^irst  came  the  men-of-war  and  the  torpedo  boats,  skim 

ming  along  beside  the 
i\[.  G.  Mclchior,  and 
forming  a  (juard  of 
honor,  right  uj)  to  the 
capital  ;  then  the  great 
sc|uadron  of  steamshijjs, 
then  the  sailing-boats 
and  cutters  with  their 
wliite  sails,  dartins: 
around  Nansen's  ship 
like  a  flock  of  sea-gulls, 
now  astern,  now  abeam, 
now  ahead  There  he 
stood  in  his  gray  clothes 
which  had  turned  to 
dirty  brown  in  ihe 
(jreenland  turf  huts. 
The  honor  done  him 
was  too  overi)owering  for  him  to  feel  proud  at  that  mo- 
ment. A  softer  and  more  subdued  emotion  must  douJDt- 
less  have  been  in  the  ascendant.  He  must  have  felt  how 
he  passed  over  into  his  people,  and  became  one  with  it. 
He  had  gone  forth  as  an  emissary,  an  interpreter  of  this 
pei.)ple ;  the  courage  wliicli  goes  unknown  and  unrecorded 
to  its  fate  in  the  dark  nights  on  sea  and  fjord,  it  had  been 
his  happy  lot  to  lead  forward  into  sunsliine  and  victory 


NANSKN    AT    TIIIKTY-ONE 


AC/POSS   GREENLAND  ^^ 

before  the  eyes  of  the  u  hole  world.     Among  all   the  th(,u- 
sands  who  waved  to  him  from   the   ramparts  of  Akerhrs 
who  burst  tlie  cordon  of  the  police  and  swarmed  round  his 
carnage  m  the  streets,  how  nKxny  at  tiiat  moment  had  any 
thought  of  science  ?      It  was  the  ex,)loit  that  apj)ealed  to 
them— they  saw  in  him  the  victorious  chieftain,  the  con- 
nectmg  link    between    the   heroes   of  the  Sagas  and   the 
heroes  of  every-day  life,  the  fisherman  clinging  to  his  over- 
turned boat,   the  snow-shoer  on    the   wintry  uplands,  the 
lumberman  shooting  the  rapids  on   his  raft.     They  saw  in 
hull  the  national  type  ;  an:l  the)-  were  right  in  a  way      In 
that  hour  he  must  certainly  have  felt  himself  close-knit 
to  the  soil  from  which  his  deed  had  sprung,  and  memories 
Oi  childhood  must  have  rushed  in  upon   him  when  his  car- 
nage stopped  at  the  house  of  the  sisters   Larsen,  and  he 
ran  upstan-s  to  greet  the  old  housekeeper  at  Great  Froen 
^yho  had    bandaged   his   blood-stained    forehead    the   first 
time  that  he  kissed  the  ice. 


4 


CIIAPTICK   V 


ij 


I)Kll<riN(;    IN    TlIK    ICK 


1 


Nkxt  morning,  July  20,  I  was  roused  by  some  violent 
shocks  to  the  fioe  on  which  we  were  encamped,  and 
thought  the  motion  of  the  sea  must  have  increased  very 
considerabU'.  When  we  u:et  outside  we  discoxer  that  the 
lloe  has  split  in  two  not  far  from  the  tent.  The  Lapps, 
who  had  at  once  made  for  the  highest  points  of  our  i)iece 
of  ice,  now  shout  that  tney  can  see  the  open  sea.  And 
so  it  is ;  far  in  the  distance  lies  the  sea  sparkling  in  the 
morning  sunshine.  It  is  a  sight  we  have  not  had  since 
we  left  the  Jason. 

I  may  here  reproduce  the  entries  in  my  diary  for  this 
and  the  following  day  :  — 

"  The  swell  is  (^rowinix  heavier  and  heavier,  and  the 
water  brer.king  over  our  floe  with  ever-increasing  force. 
The  blocks  of  ice  and  slush,  which  come  from  the  grind- 
ing of  the  floes  together,  and  are  thrown  uj)  round  the 
edges  of  our  piece,  do  a  good  deal  to  break  the  violence 
of  the  waves.  The  worst  of  it  all  is  that  we  are  beinq;  car- 
ried  seaward  with  ominous  rapidity.  We  load  our  sledges 
and  try  to  drag  them  inward  toward  land,  but  soon  see 
that  the  pace  we  are  drifting  at  is  too  much  for  us.  So 
we  begin  again  to  look  around  us  for  a  safer  floe  to  pitch 
our  camp  on,  as  our  present  one  seems  somewhat  shaky. 
When  we  first  took  to  it  it  was  a  good   round  flat  piece 

'  From  Nansen's  Across  Greenland. 


DRIFTIXG  ly  7  HE  ICE 


79 


this 

the 

rcc. 

ind- 

the 

'RCC 

car- 
i;cs 
see 
So 
itch 
iky. 
ece 


about  seventy  yards  across,  but  it  split  once  during  tlie 
night,  and  is  now  pi'ei)anng  to  part  again  at  other  places, 
so  that  we  shall  soon  not  have  much  of  it  left.  Close  by 
us  is  a  large  strong  Hoe,  still  unbroken,  and  thither  we 
move  our  camj). 

"  Meanwh''"  the  breakers  seem  to  be  drawincf  nearer, 
their  roar  ^.  '<-'  s  louder,  the  swell  comes  rolling  in  and 
washes  over  the  ice  all  around  us,  and  the  situation  prom- 
ises before  long  to  be  critical. 

"  Poor  Lapps !  they  are  not  in  the  best  of  spirits.  This 
morning  they  had  disappeared,  and  I  could  not  imagine 
what  had  become  of  them,  as  there  were  not  many  places 
on  our  little  island  where  any  of  us  could  hide  ourselves 
away.  Then  I  noticed  that  some  tarpaulins  had  been 
carefully  laid  over  one  of  the  boats.  I  lifted  a  corner 
gently  and  saw  both  the  Lapps  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the 
boat.  The  younger,  Balto,  was  reading  aloud  to  the  other 
out  of  his  Lapjjish  New  Testament.  Without  attracting 
their  attention  I  replaced  the  cover  of  this  curious  little 
house  of  prayer  which  they  had  set  up  for  themselves. 
They  had  given  up  hope  of  life,  and  were  making  ready 
for  death."  —  As  Balto  confided  to  me  one  dav  lonir  after- 
ward,  they  had  opened  their  hearts  to  one  another  here 
in  the  boat  and  "mingled  their  tears  together,  bitterly 
reproaching  themselves  and  others  because  they  had  ever 
been  brought  to  leave  their  homes.  This  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at,  as  they  have  so  little  interest  in  the 
scheme. 

"  It  is  glorious  weather,  with  the  sun  so  hot  and  bridit 
that  we  must  have  recourse  to  our  spectacles.  We  take 
advantage  of  this  to  get  an  observation,  our  bearings 
showing  us  to  be  in  65''  8'  N.  and   38"   20'  W.,  z.  c,  30 


li    1 


80 


NAiYSEiY  nV  THE  FROZEN   WOULD 


minutes  or  about  35  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Sermilik- 
fjord,  and  from  23  to  25  minutes  or  about  30  miles  from 
the  nearest  land. 

"We  i;et  our  usual  dinner  readv,  deciding;',  however,  in 
honor  of  the  occasion,  to  treat  ourselves  to  jiea-soup. 
Th's  is  the  first  time  we  have  allowed  ourselves  to  cook 
anything.  While  the  soup  is  beinu;  made  the  swell  in- 
creases so  violently  that  our  cookint;  apparatus  is  on  the 
point  of  capsizing  over  and  over  agiin. 

"  The  Laj^iJs  go  through  their  dinner  in  perfect  silence, 
but  the  rest  of  us  talk  and  joke  as  usual,  the  violent  rolls 
of  our  floe  repeatedly  giving  rise  to  witticisms  on  the  part 
of  one  or  other  of  the  c()mj:)any,  which  in  spite  of  our- 
selves kept  our  laughing  muscles  in  constant  use.  As  far 
as  the  Laj^ps  were  concerned,  however,  these  jests  fell  on 
anything  but  good  ground,  for  they  plainly  enough 
thought  that  this  was  not  at  all  the  proper  time  and  place 
for  such  frivolity. 

"  From  the  highest  point  on  our  floe  we  can  clearly  see 
how  the  ice  is  being  washed  by  the  breakers,  while  the 
columns  of  spray  thrown  high  into  the  air  look  like  white 
clouds  against  the  background  of  blue  sky.  No  living 
thinuf  can  ride  the  floes  out  there  as  far  as  we  can  see. 
It  seems  inevitable  that  we  must  be  carried  thither,  but, 
as  our  floe  is  thick  and  strong,  we  hope  to  last  for  a  while. 
We  have  no  idea  of  leaving  it  before  we  need,  but  when 
it  comes  to  that,  and  we  can  hold  on  no  longer,  our  last 
chance  will  be  to  try  and  run  our  boats  out  through  the 
surf.  This  will  be  a  wet  amusement,  but  we  arc  deter- 
mined to  do  our  best  in  the  fight  for  life.  Our  provi- 
sions, ammunition,  and  other  things  are  dixided  between 
the  two  boats,  so  that  if  one   is   stove  in  and  sinks  we 


DRIFTING  IN  THE  ICE 


8i 


ivmg 

see. 

but, 

.hilc. 

ivlien 

last 

the 

Icter- 

Irovi- 

Iveen 

we 


shall  have  enough  to  keep  us  alive  in  the  other.  We 
should  probably  be  able  to  save  our  lives  in  that  case, 
but  of  course  the  success  of  the  ex})edition  would  be  \ery 
doubtful. 

"  To  run  one  of  our  loaded  boats  into  the  water 
through  the  heavy  surf  and  rolling  floes  without  getting 
her  swamped  or  crushed  will  perhaps  be  possible,  as  we 
can  set  all  our  hands  to  work,  but  it  will  Ijc  difficult  for 
the  crew  of  the  remaining  boat  to  get  their  shij)  launched. 
After  consideration  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  we 
must  only  jjut  what  is  absolutely  necessary  into  one  boat, 
and  keep  it  as  light  as  possible,  so  that  in  case  of 
extremity  we  can  take  to  it  alone.  r\)r  the  rest,  we  shall 
see  how  things  look  when  we  actuall)-  reach  the  breakers. 

"  We  have  scarcely  half  a  mile  left  now,  and  none  of  us 
have  any  doubt  but  that  before  another  coujdIc  of  hours 
are  passed  we  shall  find  ourselves  either  rocking  on  the 
open  sea,  making  our  way  along  the  ice  southward,  or 
sinkin<T  to  the  bottom. 

"  Poor  Ravna  deserves  most  sympathy.  He  is  not  yet 
at  all  accustomed  to  the  sea  and  its  caprices.  He  moves 
silently  about,  fiddling  with  one  thing  or  anc  'her,  now  and 
again  goes  u}d  to  the  highest  points  of  our  ^.oe,  and  gazes 
anxiously  out  toward  the  breakers.  His  thoughts  are 
evidently  with  his  herd  of  reindeer,  his  lent,  and  wife  and 
children  far  away  on  the  Finmarken  mountains,  where  all 
is  now  sunshine  and  summer  weather. 

"But  why  did  he  ever  leave  all  this?  Only  because 
he  was  offered  money.'*  Alas!  what  is  money  compared 
with  happiness  and  home,  where  all  is  now  sun  and  sum- 
mer }     Poor  Ravna  ! 

"  It  is  but  human  at  such  moments  to  let  the  remem- 

6 


I'    I 


82 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


w 


ill 


f     m 


brancc  dwell  on  what  has  been  fairest  in  life,  and  few 
indeed  can  have  fairer  memories  to  look  back  upon  than 
yours  of  the  mountain  and  reindeer-herd. 

"  Hut  here,  too,  the  sun  is  shinini;  as  kindly  and  peace- 
fully as  elsewhere,  down  on  the  rolling  sea  and  thundering 
surf,  which  is  boilins:  round  us.  The  evening  is  i>lorious, 
as  red  as  it  was  )esterday,  and  as  no  doubt  it  will  be  to- 
morrow and  ever  after,  setting  the  western  sky  on  fire, 
and  pressing  its  last  long  passionate  kiss  on  land  and  ice 
and  sea  before  it  disajDpears  behind  the  barrier  of  the 
'inland  ice.'  There  is  not  a  breath  of  wind  stirrinuf,  and 
the  sea  is  rolling  in  upon  us  rudd\  and  polished  as  a 
shield  under  the  light  of  the  evening  sky. 

"  Beautiful  it  is,  indeed,  v/ith  these  huge  loncj  billows 
coming  rolling  in,  sweeping  on  as  if  nothing  could  with- 
stand them.  They  fall  upon  the  white  floes,  and  then, 
raising  their  green,  dripping  breasts,  they  break  and 
throw  fragments  of  ice  and  spray  far  before  them  on  to 
the  glittering  snow,  or  high  above  them  into  the  blue  air. 
But  it  seems  almost  strange  that  such  surroundings  can 
be  the  scene  of  death.  Yet  death  must  come  one  day, 
and   the  hour  of   our  departure   could   scarcely  be   more 


glorious. 


"  But  we  have  no  time  to  waste  ;  we  are  getting  very 
near  now.  The  swell  is  so  heavy  that  when  we  are  down 
in  the  hollows  we  can  see  nothinci:  of  the  ice  around  us, 
nothing  but  the  sky  above.  Floes  crash  together,  break, 
and  are  ground  to  fragments  all  about  us,  and  our  own 
has  also  split.  If  we  are  going  to  sea  we  shall  need  all 
our  strength  in  case  wc  have  to  row  for  days  together  in 
order  to  keep  clear  of  the  ice.  So  all  hands  are  ordered 
to  bed  in  the   tent,  which  is   the  only  thing  we  have  not 


iit 


DRIFTING   IN  THE   ICE 


83 


very 
down 
Id  us, 
[ircak, 

own 
Id  all 

IX  in 

lered 
not 


yet  packed  into  the  boats,  Sverdrup,  as  the  most  experi- 
enced and  cool-headed  amonu"  us,  is  to  take  the  first 
watch  and  turn  us  out  at  the  critical  moment.  In  two 
hours  Christiansen  is  to  take  his  place. 

"  I  look  in  \ain  for  any  sign  which  can  betray  fear  on 
the  part  of  my  comrades,  but  they  seem  as  cool  as  ever, 
and  their  conversation  is  as  usual.  The  Lapps  alone  show 
some  anxiety,  though  it  is  that  of  a  calm  resignation,  for 
they  are  fully  convinced  that  they  have  seen  the  sun  set 
for  the  last  time.  In  spite  of  the  roar  of  the  breakers  we 
are  soon  fast  asleep,  and  even  the  Lapps  seem  to  be  slum- 
bering quietly  and  soundly.  They  are  too  good  children 
of  nature  to  let  anxiety  spoil  their  sleep.  Balto,  who,  not 
finding  the  tent  safe  enough,  is  lvini>;  in  one  of  the  boats, 
did  not  even  wake  when  some  time  later  it  was  almost 
swept  by  the  waves,  and  Sverdrup  had  to  hold  it  to  kec}i 
it  on  the  floe. 

"  After  sleeping  for  a  while,  I  do  not  know  how  long,  I 
am  woke  by  the  sound  of  the  water  rushing  close  by  my 
head  and  just  outside  thu  wall  of  the  tent.  I  feel  the  floe 
rocking  up  and  down  like  a  ship  in  a  heavy  sea,  and  the 
roar  of  the  surf  is  r  ore  deafening  than  ever.  I  lay  expect- 
ing every  moment  to  hear  Sverdrup  call  me  or  to  see  the 
tent  filled  with  water,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  happened.  I 
could  distinctly  hear  his  familiar  steady  tread  up  and  down 
the  floe  between  the  tent  and  the  boats.  I  seemed  to  my- 
self to  see  his  sturdy  form  as  he  paced  calmly  backward 
and  forward,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  a  slight 
stoop  in  his  shoulders,  or  stood  with  his  calm  and  thought- 
ful face  gazing  out  to  sea,  his  quid  now  and  again  turning 
in  his  cheek  —  I  remember  no  more,  as  I  dozed  off  to 
sleep  again. 


84 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


li'  ;■ 


i 


li  ! 


)      ^ 


i'r 


n 


"  I  did  not  wake  again  till  it  was  full  morning.  Then  I 
started  iij)  in  astonishment,  for  I  could  hear  nothing  of  the 
breakers  but  a  distant  thunder.  When  I  got  outside  the 
tent  I  saw  that  we  were  a  long  way  off  the  open  sea.  Our 
floe,  however,  was  a  sight  to  remember.  Fragments  of 
ice,  big  and  little,  had  been  thrown  upon  it  by  the  waves 
till  they  formed  a  rampart  all  around  us,  and  the  ridge 
on  which  our  tent  and  one  of  the  boats  stood  was  the 
only  part  the  sea  had  not  washed. 

"  Sverdrup  now  told  us  that  several  times  in  the  course 
of  the  night  he  had  stood  by  the  tent-door  prepared  to 
turn  us  out.  Once  he  actually  undid  one  hook,  then 
waited  a  bit,  took  another  turn  to  the  boats,  and  then 
another  look  at  the  surf,  leaving  the  hook  unfastened  in 
case  of  accident.  We  were  then  right  out  at  the  extreme 
edge  of  the  ice.  A  huge  crag  of  ice  was  swaying  in  tlie 
sea  close  beside  us,  and  threatening  every  moment  to  fall 
ipon  our  floe.  The  surf  was  washing  us  on  all  sides,  Ijut 
the  rampart  that  had  been  thrown  up  round  us  did  us 
good  service,  and  the  tent  and  one  of  the  boats  still  stood 
high  and  dry.  The  other  boat,  in  which  Balto  was  asleep, 
was  washed  so  heavily  that  again  and  again  Sverdrup  had 
to  hold  it  in  its  place. 

"  Then  matters  got  still  worse.  Sverdrup  came  to  the 
tent-door  again,  undid  another  hook,  but  again  hesitated 
and  waited  for  the  next  sea.  He  undid  no  more  hooks, 
however.  Just  as  things  looked  worst,  and  our  floe's  turn 
had  come  to  ride  out  into  the  middle  of  the  breakers,  she 
suddenly  changed  her  course,  and  with  astonishing  speed 
we  were  once  more  sailing  in  toward  land.  So  marvellous 
was  the  change  that  it  looked  as  if  it  were  the  work  of  an 
unseen  hand.     When  I  got  out  we  were  far  inside  and  in 


DRIFTIXG  IN  THE  ICE 

a  good  harbor  though  the  n,ar  of  the  breakers  was  still 
aucbble  enough  to  renu.ul  us  of  the  night.     Thus  fo^ 
t.n,e  wc  were  spared  the  expeeted  trial  of  the  se.wor 
ness  of  our  boats  and  our  own  seamanship  " 


tl 


— \vlikl.''"'''WMKl//'^///     ' 


TllK   KSKIMO    KNiAMI'MlAT   AT  V ,\VV.    lUl.I.E 
(/?>'  A".  Nielsen, /rotii  <i  /ihotogr<i/>h) 


ilv 


I 


■t 


^  i 


1: 
.1 


CHAPTER   VI 

AN    KSKIMO    ENCAMI'MKNT    ON    TIIK    EAST    COAST  * 

As  wc  drew  near  Cape  Bille,  the  promontory  which  lies 
to  the  north  of  Puisortok,  we  lieard  strange  sounds  from 
shore  —  as  it  were,  a  mixture  of  human  voices  and  the 
barkins:  of  doijs.  As  we  ijazed  thither  we  now  caught 
sight  of  some  dark  masses  of  moving  objects,  which,  as 
we  examined  them  more  closely,  we  found  to  be  groups 
of  human  beings.  They  were  spread  over  the  terrace  of 
rock,  were  chatteriuL::  in  indistinsfuishable  Babel,  ijesticu- 
lating,  and  pointing  toward  us  as  we  worked  our  way 
quietly  through  the  ice.  They  had  evidently  been  watch- 
ing us  for  some  time.  We  now  too  discovered  a  number 
of  skin-tents  which  were  perched  aiTiong  the  rocks,  and  at 
the  same  time  became  aware  of  a  noteworthy  smell  of 
train-oil  or  some  similar  substance,  which  followed  the  off- 
shore breeze.  Though  it  was  still  early,  and  though  the 
water  in  front  of  us  seemed  open  for  some  distance,  we 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  visiting  these  strange 
and   unknown   beings.     At   the   moment  we   turned   our 

*  From  Nansen's  Across  Greenland. 


1,  as 
oups 

Lce  of 
ticii- 
way 
atch- 

mber 

nd  at 
11  of 

eoff- 
the 


ange 
■   our 


A.V  ESKIMO  ENCAMrMENT 


«7 


boats  toward  shore  the  clamor  increased  tenfold.  They 
shrieked  and  yelled,  j)ointed,  and  rushed,  some  down  to 
the  shore,  others  uj)  on  to  higher  rocks  in  order  to  see  us 
better.  If  we  were  stopped  by  ice  and  took  out  our  long 
boat-hooks  and  bamboo  jjoles  to  force  the  floes  apart  and 
make  ourselves  a  channel,  the  confusion  on  shore  rose  to 
an  extraordinary  pitch,  the  cries  and  laughter  growing 
simply  hysterical.  As  we  got  in  toward  land  some  men 
came  dartinir  out  to  us  in  their  "  kaiaks,"  amonu'  them 
a  native  whom  we  had  seen  in  the  morninir.  Their  faces 
one  and  all  simply  beamed  with  smiles,  and  in  the  most 
friendly  way  they  swarmed  around  us  in  tluir  active  little 
craft,  trying  to  point  us  out  the  way,  which  we  could  quite 
well  find  ourselves,  and  gazing  in  wonder  at  our  strong 
boats  as  they  glided  on  regardless  of  ice,  which  would  have 
cut  their  fragile  boats  of  skin  in  pieces. 

At  last  we  passed  the  last  floe  and  drew  in  to  shore. 
It  was  now  growing  dusk,  and  the  scene  that  met  us  was 
one  of  the  most  fantastic  to  which  I  have  ever  been 
witness.  All  about  the  ledges  of  rock  stood  long  rows 
of  strangely  wild  and  shaggy-looking  creatures  —  men, 
women,  and  children  all  in  much  the  same  scanty  dress 
—  staring  and  pointing  at  us,  and  uttering  the  same  bo- 
vine sound  which  had  so  much  struck  us  in  the  morning. 
Now  it  was  just  as  if  we  had  a  whole  herd  of  cows  about 
us,  lowing  in  chorus  as  the  cowhouse  door  is  opened  in 
the  morning  to  admit  the  expected  fodder.  Down  by 
the  water's  edge  were  a  number  of  men  eagerly  strug- 
gling and  gesticulating  to  show  us  a  good  landing-place, 
which,  together  with  other  small  services  of  the  kind,  is 
the  acknowledged  Eskimo  welcome  to  strangers  whom 
they  are  pleased  to  see.     Up  on  the  rocks  were  a  number 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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88 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


of  yellowish-lDrown  tents,  and  lower  down  canoes,  skin- 
boats,  and  other  implements,  while  more  "  kaiaks " 
swarmed  round  us  in  the  water.  Add  to  all  this  the 
neighboring;  glacier,  the  drifting  floes,  and  the  glowing 
evening  sk}-,  and,  lastly,  our  two  boats  and  six  unkempt- 
looking  selves,  and  the  whole  formed  a  picture  which  we 
at  least  are  not  likely  to  forget.  The  life  and  movement 
were  a  welcome  contrast  indeed  to  the  desolation  and 
silence  which  we  had  so  lont;  endured. 

It  was  not  long,  of  course,  before  our  boats  were  safely 
moored,  and  we  standing  on  shore  surrounded  by  crowds 
of  natives,  who  scanned  us  and  our  belonsfinijs  with  won- 
dering  eyes.  Beaming  smiles  and  kindliness  met  us  on 
all  sides.  i\  smiling  face  is  the  Eskimo's  greeting  to  a 
stranger,  as  his  language  has  no  formula  of  welcome. 

Then  we  look  around  us  for  a  bit.  Here  amid  the  ice 
and  snow  these  people  seemed  to  be  comfortable  enough, 
and  we  felt  indeed  that  we  would  willingly  prolong  our 
stay  among  them.  As  we  stopped  in  front  of  the  largest 
tent,  at  the  sight  of  the  comfortable  glow  that  shone  out 
through  its  outer  opening,  we  were  at  once  invited  in  by 
signs.  We  accepted  the  invitation,  and  as  soon  as  we 
had  passed  the  outer  doorway  a  curtain  of  thin  membra- 
neous skin  was  pushed  aside  for  us,  and,  bending  our 
heads  as  we  entered,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  cosey  room. 

The  sight  and  smell  which  now  met  us  were,  to  put  it 
mildly,  at  least  unusual.  I  had  certainly  been  given  to 
understand  that  the  Eskimos  of  the  east  coast  of  Green- 
land were  in  the  habit  of  reducing  their  indoor  dress  to 
the  smallest  possible  dimensions,  and  that  the  atmosphere 
of  their  dwellings  was  the  reverse  of  pleasant.  But  a 
sight  so  extraordinary,  and  a  smell  so   remarkable,  had 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


89 


^ 


fe 


never  come  within  the  grasp  of  my  imagination.  Tlic 
smell,  which  was  a  peculiar  blending  of  several  charac- 
teristic ingredients,  was  quite  enough  to  occupy  one's 
attention  at  first  entrance.  The  most  prominent  of  the 
components  was  due  to  the  numerous  train-oil  lamps 
which  were  burning,  and  this  powerful  odor  was  well 
tempered  with  human  exhalations  of  every  conceivable 
kind,  as  well  as  the  pungent  efifluvia  of  a  certain  fetid 
liquid  which  was  stored  in  vessels  here  and  there  about 
the  room,  and  which,  as  I  subsequently  learned,  is,  from 
the  various  uses  to  which  it  is  applied,  one  of  the  most 
important  and  valuable  commodities  of  Eskimo  domestic 
economy.  Into  further  details  I  think  it  is  scarcely  ad- 
visable to  go,  and  I  must  ask  the  reader  to  accept  my 
assurance  that  the  general  effect  was  anythmg  but  at- 
tractive to  the  unaccustomed  nose  of  the  new-comer. 
However,  familiarity  soon  has  its  wonted  effect,  and  one's 
first  abhorrence  may  even  before  long  give  way  to  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  pleasure.  But  it  is  not  the  same  with 
every  one,  and  one  or  two  of  our  party  were  even  con- 
strained to  retire  incontinently. 

For  my  own  part,  I  soon  found  myself  sufKiciently  at 
ease  to  be  able  to  use  my  eyes.  My  attention  was  first 
arrested  by  the  number  of  naked  forms  which  thronged 
the  tent  in  standing,  sitting,  and  reclining  positions.  All 
the  occupants  were,  in  fact,  attired  in  their  so-called 
*'  natit  "  or  indoor  dress,  the  dimensions  of  which  are  so 
extremely  small  as  to  make  it  practically  invisible  to  the 
stranger's  inexperienced  eye.  The  dress  consists  of  a 
narrow  band  about  the  loins,  which  in  the  case  of  the 
women  is  reduced  to  the  smallest  possible  dimensions. 

Of  false  modesty,  of  course,  there  was  no  sign,  but  it  is 


90 


NAiYSE.y  AV  77/E  FROZEN  WORLD 


\l 


not  to  be  wondered  at  that  tlie  unaffected  ingenuousness 
with  wliich  all  intercourse  was  carried  on  made  a  very 
strange  impression  upon  us  conventional  Europeans  in 
the  first  instance.  Nor  will  the  blushes  whicii  rose  to  the 
cheeks  of  some  among  us  when  we  saw  a  party  of  young 
men  and  women  who  followed  us  into  the  tent  at  once 
proceed  to  attire  themselves  in  their  indoor  dress,  or,  in 
other  words,  divest  themselves  of  every  particle  of  cloth- 
ing which  they  wore,  be  laid  to  our  discredit,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  we  had  been  accustomed  to  male  society 
exclusively  during  our  voyage  and  adventures  among  the 
ice.  The  Lapps  especially  were  much  embarrassed  at 
the  unwonted  sight. 

The  natives  now  thronged  in  in  numbers,  and  the  tent 
was  soon  closely  packed.  We  had  been  at  once  inxited 
to  sit  down  upon  some  chests  which  stood  by  the  thin 
skin-curtain  at  the  entrance.  These  are  the  seats  which 
are  always  put  at  the  disposal  of  visitors,  while  the  occu- 
pants have  their  places  upon  the  long  bench  or  couch 
which  fills  the  back  part  of  the  tent.  This  couch  is  made 
of  planks,  is  deep  enough  to  give  room  for  a  body  re- 
clining at  full  length,  and  is  as  broad  as  the  whole  width 
of  the  tent.  It  is  covered  with  several  layers  of  seal-skin, 
and  upon  it  the  occupants  spend  their  whole  indoor  life, 
men  and  women  alike,  sitting  often  cross-legged  as  they 
work,  and  taking  their  meals  and  rest  and  sleep. 

The  tent  itself  is  of  a  very  peculiar  construction.  The 
framework  consists  of  a  sort  of  high  trestle,  upon  which  a 
number  of  poles  are  laid,  forming  a  semicircle  below,  and 
converging  more  or  less  to  a  point  at  the  top.  Over 
these  poles  a  double  layer  of  skin  is  stretched,  the  inner 
coat  with  the  hair  turned  inward,  and  the  outer  generally 


■'-^^'•^^'-^"-'"-' 


AJV  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


91 


;r 


consistinG:  of  tlic  old  coverinu^s  of  boats  and  "  kaiaks." 
The  entrance  is  under  the  above-mentioned  trestle,  which 
is  covered  by  the  thin  curtain  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken. 

This  particular  tent  housed  four  or  five  different  fami- 
lies. Each  of  them  hiid  its  own  partition  marked  off 
upon  the  common  couch,  and  in  each  of  the  stalls  so 
formed  man,  wife,  and  children  would  be  closely  packed, 
a  four-foot  space  thus  ha\'ing  sometimes  to  accommodate 
husband,  two  wives,  and  six  or  more  children. 

Before  every  family  stall  a  train  oil  lamp  was  burning 
With  a  broad  flame.  These  lamjDs  are  flat,  semicircular 
vessels  of  pot-stone,  about  a  foot  in  length.  The  wick  is 
made  of  dried  moss,  which  is  placed  against  one  side  of 
the  lamp  and  continually  fed  with  pieces  of  fresh  blubber, 
which  soon  melts  into  oil.  The  lamps  are  in  charge  of 
the  women,  wiio  have  special  sticks  to  manipulate  the 
wicks  with,  to  keep  them  both  from  smoking  and  from 
burning  too  low.  Great  pots  of  the  same  stone  hang 
above,  and  in  them  the  Eskimos  cook  all  their  food  which 
they  do  not  eat  raw.  Strange  to  say,  they  use  neither 
peat  nor  wood  for  cooking  purposes,  though  such  fuel  is 
not  diflficult  to  procure.  The  lamps  are  kept  burning 
night  and  day  ;  they  serve  for  both  heating  and  lighting 
purposes,  for  the  Eskimo  does  not  sleep  in  the  dark,  like 
other  people ;  and  they  also  serve  to  maintain  a  perma- 
nent odor  of  train-oil,  which,  as  I  have  said,  our  Euro- 
pean senses  at  first  found  not  altogether  attractive,  but 
which  they  soon  learned  not  only  to  tolerate,  but  to  take 
pleasure  in. 

As  we  sat  in  a  row  on  the  chests,  taking  stock  of  our 
strange   surroundings,  our  hosts  began   to   try  to  enter- 


( 


!':;    ^  >'■! 


-■♦ 


9* 


A^ANSEN  JN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


tain  us.  The  use  of  every  object  we  looked  at  was  kindly 
c.\i:)lained  to  us,  partly  by  means  of  words,  of  which  we 
understood  nothing,  and  partly  by  actions,  which  were 
somewhat  more  within  reach  of  our  com})rehension.  In 
this  way  we  learned  that  certain  wooden  racks  which 
hung  from  the  roof  were  for  drying  clothes  on,  that  the 
substance  cooking  in  the  pots  was  seal's-flesh,  and  so  on. 
Then  they  showed  us  various  things  which  they  were 
evidently  very  proud  of.  Some  old  women  opened  a  bag, 
for  instance,  and  brought  out  a  little  bit  of  Dutch  screw- 
tobacco,  while  a  man  displayed  a  knife  with  a  long  bone- 
handle.  These  two  things  were,  wo  doubt,  the  most 
notable  possessions  in  the  tent,  for  they  were  regarded  by 
all  the  company  with  especial  veneration.  Then  they 
began  to  explain  to  us  the  mutual  relations  of  the  various 
occupants  of  the  tent.  A  man  embraced  a  fat  woman, 
and  thereupon  the  pair  with  extreme  complacency  pointed 
to  some  younger  individuals,  the  whole  pantomime  giving 
us  to  understand  that  the  party  together  formed  a  family 
of  husband,  wife,  and  children.  The  man  then  proceeded 
to  stroke  his  wife  down  the  back  and  pinch  her  here  and 
there  to  show  us  how  charming  and  delightful  she  was, 
and  how  fond  he  was  of  her,  the  process  giving  her,  at 
the  same  time,  evident  satisfaction. 

Curiously  enough,  none  of  the  men  in  this  particular 
tent  seemed  to  have  more  than  one  wife,  though  it  is  a 
common  thing  among  the  east  coast  Eskimos  for  a  man  to 
keep  two  if  he  can  afford  them,  though  never  more  than 
two.  As  a  rule  the  men  are  good  to  their  wives,  and  a 
couple  may  even  be  seen  to  kiss  each  other  at  times, 
though  the  process  is  not  carried  out  on  European  lines, 
but  by  a  mutual  rubbing  of  noses.     Domestic  strife  is, 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


93 


however,  not  unknown,  and  it  sometimes  leads  to  violent 
scenes,  the  end  of  which  generally  is  that  the  woman 
receives  either  a  viicorous  castiiration  t)r  the  blade  of  a 
knife  in  her  arm  or  leg,  after  which  the  relation  between 
the  two  becomes  as  cordial  as  ever,  especially  if  tlic 
woman  has  children. 

In  our  tent  the  best  of  understandings  seem  to  ])rcvail 
among  the  many  occupants.  Toward  us  the}-  were 
especially  friendly,  and  talked  incessantly,  though  it  had 
long  been  quite  clear  to  them  that  all  their  efforts  in  this 
direction  were  absolutely  thrown  away.  One  of  the 
elders  of  the  party,  who  was  evidently  a  prominent  per- 
sonage among  them,  and  probably  an  "angekok"  or 
magician,  an  old  fellow  with  a  wily,  cunning  expression, 
and  a  more  dignified  air  than  the  rest,  managed  to  explain 
to  us  with  a  jjreat  deal  of  trouble  that  some  of  them  had 
come  from  the  north  and  were  going  south,  while  others 
had  come  from  the  south  and  were  bound  north  ;  that  the 
two  parties  had  met  here  by  accident,  that  we  had  joined 
them,  and  that  altogether  they  did  not  know  when  they 
had  had  such  a  t2:ood  time  before.  Then  he  wanted  to 
know  where  we  had  come  from,  but  this  was  not  so  easily 
managed.  We  pointed  out  to  sea,  and  as  well  as  we 
could  tried  to  make  them  understand  that  we  had  forced 
our  way  through  the  ice,  had  reached  land  farther  south, 
and  then  worked  up  northward.  This  information  made 
our  audience  look  very  doubtful  indeed,  and  anotlier 
chorus  of  lowing  followed,  the  conclusion  evidently  being 
that  there  was  something  supernatural  about  us.  In  this 
way  the  conversation  went  on,  and,  all  things  considered, 
we  were  thoroughly  well  entertained,  though  to  an  out- 
side observer  our  pantomimic  efforts  would,  of  course, 
have  seemed  extremely  comical. 


94 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


.    .  f 
i' 


I  will  not  be  rash  enough  to  assert  that  all  the  faces 
that  surrounded  us  were  indisputably  clean.  Most  of  them 
were,  no  doubt,  naturally  of  a  yellowish  or  brownish  hue, 
but  how  nuich  of  the  color  that  we  saw  in  these  very 
swarthy  countenances  was  really  genuine  we  had  no  means 
of  deciding.  In  some  cases,  and  especially  among  the  chil- 
dren, the  dirt  had  accumulated  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
was  already  passing  into  the  stage  of  a  hard  black  crust, 
which  here  and  there  had  begun  to  break  away  and  to 
show  the  true  skin  beneath.  E\'ery  face,  too,  with  few- 
exceptions,  simply  glistened  with  blubber.  Among  the 
women,  especially  the  younger  section,  who  here  as  in 
some  other  parts  of  the  world  are  incontinently  vain,  wash- 
ing is  said  to  be  not  uncommon,  and  Holm  even  accuses 
them  of  being  very  clean.  But  as  to  the  exact  nature  of 
the  process  which  leads  to  this  result  it  will  perhaps  be 
better  for  me  to  say  no  more. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  the  surroundings  and  habits 
of  these  people,  to  which  I  have  already  referred,  together 
with  many  other  practices,  which  I  have  thought  it  better 
not  to  specify,  would  have  an  extremely  repellent  effect 
upon  the  stranger.  But  this  is  by  no  means  the  case 
when  one  has  once  overcome  the  first  shock  which  the 
eccentricity  of  their  ways  is  sure  to  cause,  when  one  has 
ceased  to  notice  such  things  as  the  irrepressible  tendency 
of  their  hands  to  plunge  into  the  jungle  of  their  hair  in 
hot  pursuit,  as  their  dirt-encrusted  faces  —  a  point  on 
which,  I  may  remark,  we  ourselves  in  our  then  condition 
had  little  right  to  speak  —  and  as  the  strange  atmosphere 
in  which  they  live  ;  and  if  one  is  careful  at  first  not  to  look 
too  closely  into  their  methods  of  preparing  food,  the  gen- 
eral impression  received  is  absolutely  attractive.     There 


AN  ESKIMO  KXCAMPMENT 


95 


is  a  frank  and  homely  gcnialit)-  in  all  their  actions  which 
is  very  winning,  and  can  only  make  the  stranger  feel  thor- 
oughly comfortable  in  their  society. 

People's  notions  on  the  subject  of  good  looks  vary  so 
much  that  it  is  difficult  to  come  to  a  satisfactory  determi- 
nation with  regard  to  these  Kskimos.  If  wc  bind  ourselves 
down  to  any  established  ideal  of  beauty,  such  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  Venus  of  Milo,  the  c|uestion  is  soon  settled. 
The  east  coast  of  Greenland,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  not 
rich  in  tyj^es  of  this  kind.  Hut  if  wc  can  only  make  an 
effort  and  free  our  critical  faculty  from  a  standard  which 
has  been  forced  upon  it  by  the  influences  of  superstition 
and  heredity,  and  can  only  agree  to  allow  that  the  thing 
which  attracts  us,  and  on  which  we  look  with  delight,  for 
these  very  reasons  possesses  the  quality  of  beauty,  then 
the  prr>blem  becomes  very  much  more  difficult  of  solution. 
I  have  no  doubt  that,  were  one  to  live  with  these  people  for 
a  while  and  grow  accustomed  to  them,  one  would  soon 
find  many  a  pretty  face  and  many  an  attractive  feature 
among  them. 

As  it  was,  indeed,  we  saw  more  than  one  face  which  a 
European  taste  would  allow  to  be  pretty.  There  was  one 
woman  especially  who  reminded  me  vividly  of  an  acknow- 
ledged beauty  at  home  in  Norway;  and  not  only  I,  but 
one  of  my  companions  who  happened  to  know  the  proto- 
type, was  greatly  struck  by  the  likeness.  The  faces  of 
these  Eskimos  are  as  a  rule  round,  with  broad,  outstanding 
jaws,  and  are,  in  the  case  of  the  women  especially,  very 
fat,  the  cheeks  being  particularly  exuberant.  The  eyes 
are  dark  and  often  set  a  little  obliquely,  while  the  nose  is 
flat,  narrow  above,  and  broad  below.  The  whole  face  often 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  compressed  from  the  front  and 


96 


NAXSEN  IN  Tin:   FRO  ZEN  WORLD 


forced  to  make  its  growth  from  tlic  sides.  Amont>;  the 
women,  and  more  especially  the  children,  the  face  is  so  flat 
that  one  could  almost  lay  a  ruler  across  from  clieek  to 
cheek  without  louchini^  the  nose;  indeed,  now  and  au;ain 
one  will  see  a  child  whose  nose  really  forms  a  depression 
in  the  face  rather  than  the  reverse.  It  will  he  understood 
from  this  that  many  of  these  people  show  no  si^ns  of  ap- 
proaching the  lun'opean  standard  of  good  looks,  hut  it  is 
not  exactly  in  this  direction  that  the  Eskimo's  attractions, 
generally  sjijcaking,  really  lie.  At  the  sanie  time  there  is 
something  kindly,  genial,  and  complacent  in  his  stubby, 
dumpy,  oily  features  which  is  quite  irresistible. 

Their  hands  and  feet  alike  are  unusually  small  and  well- 
shaped.  Their  hair  is  absol.itely  black,  and  quite  straight, 
resembliu'j:  horse-hair.  The  men  often  tie  it  back  from 
the  forehead  with  a  string  of  beads  and  leave  it  to  fall 
down  over  the  shoulders.  Some  who  have  no  such  band 
have  it  cut  above  the  forehead  or  round  the  whole  head 
with  the  jawbone  of  a  shark,  as  their  superstitions  will  not 
allow  them  on  any  account  to  let  iron  come  into  contact 
with  it,  even  when  the  doubtful  course  of  having  it  cut  at 
all  has  been  resolved  upon.  But,  curiously  enough,  a  man 
who  has  begun  to  cut  his  hair  in  his  youth  must  necessa- 
rily continue  the  practice  all  his  life.  The  women  gather 
their  hair  up  from  behind  and  tie  it  with  a  strip  of  seal- 
skin into  a  cone,  which  must  stand  as  perpendicularly  as 
possible.  This  convention  is,  of  course,  especially  strin- 
gent in  the  case  of  the  young  unmarried  women,  who,  to 
obtain  the  desired  result,  tie  their  hair  back  from  the  fore- 
head and  temples  so  tightly  that  by  degrees  it  gradually 
gives  way,  and  they  become  bald  at  a  very  early  age.  A 
head   which   has  felt  the  effects  of  this  treatment  is  no 


AN  ESKIMO   ENCAMPMENT 


97 


attractive  sight,  but  the  victim  in  such  cases  has  generally 
been  a  long  time  married  and  settled  in  life,  and  the  dis- 
advantage is  therefore  not  so  keenly  felt. 

After  we  had  been  sitting  in  the  tent  for  a  while,  one  of 


;al- 
as 

in- 
to 
re- 


ESKIMO    BEAUTY,    KROM    THK    KAST   COAST,    IN    HKR   OLD    AOE 
(By  E.  Nielsen,  from  a  photograph  taken  by  the  Danish  "  Konebaad"  expedition) 

the  elders  of  the  company,  the  old  man  with  the  unat- 
tractive expression,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoker  'ose 
and  went  out.  Presently  he  came  in  a^^ain  with  a  long  line 
of  seal-skin,  which,  as  he  sat  on  the  bench,  he  began  to  un- 
roll. I  regarded  this  performance  with  some  w^onder,  as  I 
could  not  imagine  what  was  going  to  happen.  Then  he 
brought  out  a  knife,  cut  off  a  long  piece,  and,  rising,  gave 
it  to  one  of  us.  Then  he  cut  off  another  piece  of  equal 
7 


98 


NANSIC.V  IN  TJIK   J'RO/.EN   WORLD 


Icngtli  atul  gave  it  to  another,  and  the  process  was  re- 
jieated  till  we  all  six  were  ahke  provided.  W'lien  he  had 
finished  his  distribution  he  smiled  and  beamed  at  us,  in 
his  abundant  satisfaction   with   himself  and   the  world  at 

large.  Then  another  of  them  went  out, 
canie  back  with  a  similar  line,  and  dis- 
tributed it  in  like  manner  ;  whereupon 
a  third  followed  his  e\ami)le,  and  so 
the  game  was  kept  going  till  we  were 
each  of  us  provided  with  four  or  five 
])ieces  of  seal-skin  line.  Poor  things  ! 
they  gave  us  what  they  could,  and  what 
they  thought  would  be  useful  to  us. 
It  was  the  kind  of  line  they  use,  when 
seal-catching,  to  connect  the  point  of 
the  harjjoon  to  the  bladder  which  pre- 
vents the  seal  from  escaping,  and  it 
is  astonishingly  strong. 

After  this  exhibition  of  liberality  we 
sat  for  a  time  looking  at  one  another,  and  I  expected  that 
our  hosts  would  show  by  signs  their  desire  for  something 
in  return.  After  a  while,  too,  the  old  man  did  get  up  and 
produce  something  which  he  evidently  kept  as  a  possession 
of  great  price  and  rarity.  It  was  nothing  else  than  a  clumsy, 
rusty  old  rifie,  with  the  strangest  contrivance  in  the  way  of 
a  hammer  that  it  has  ever  been  my  good  luck  to  see.  It 
consisted  of  a  huge,  unwieldy  piece  of  iron,  in  which 
there  was  a  finger-hole  to  enable  the  user  to  cock  it.  As 
I  afterwards  found,  this  is  the  ordinary  form  of  rifle  on 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  and  it  is  specially  constructed 
for  use  in  the  "  kaiak."  After  the  old  man  had  shown  us 
this  curiosity,  and  we  had  duly  displayed  our  admiration. 


l.sKiMo   COY,  ri;  iNi    niK 

CAMl'    AT    FORT    llll.l.K 


AN  ESKIMO   ENCAMPMKyr 


99 


)n, 


he  made  us  unclcrstand  by  some  very  unmistakable  ges- 
tures that  he  had  iiotliiiii;  to  |)ut  in  it.  /\t  first  I  pre- 
tended not  to  grasj)  liis  meaning,  but,  this  insincerity 
being  of  no  avail,  1  was  obligerl  to  make  it  plain  to  him 
that  we  had  nothing  to  give  him  in  the  way  of  ammuni- 
tion. This  intimation  he  received  with  a  very  disai)pointed 
and  dejected  air,  and  he  went  at  once  and  put  his  rifle 
away. 

None  of  the  others  showed  by  the  slightest  token  that 
they  expected  anything  in  return  for  their  presents.  They 
were  all  friendliness  and  hospitality,  though  no  doubt 
there  was  a  notion  lurking  somewhere  in  the  background 
that  their  liberality  would  not  prove  unproductive,  and,  of 
course,  we  did  not  fail  to  fulfil  our  share  of  the  transac- 
tion next  day.  The  hospitality,  indeed,  of  this  desolate 
coast  is  quite  unbounded.  A  man  will  receive  his  worst 
enemy,  treat  him  well,  and  entertain  him  for  months,  if 
circumstances  throw  him  in  his  way.  The  nature  of  their 
surroundings  and  the  wandering  life  which  they  lead  have 
forced  them  to  offer  and  accept  universal  hospitality,  and 
the  habit  has  gradually  become  a  law  among  them. 

Afucr  we  considered  we  had  been  long  enough  in  the 
tent  we  went  out-  into  the  fresh  air  again,  and  chose  as  our 
camping-ground  for  the  night  a  flat  ledge  of  rock  close  to 
the  landing-place.  We  then  began  to  bring  our  things 
ashore,  but  at  once  a  crowd  of  natives  rushed  for  our 
boats,  and  were  soon  busy  moving  our  boxes  and  bags 
up  on  to  the  rocks.  Every  object  caused  an  admiring 
outburst,  and  our  willing  helpers  laughed  and  shouted  in 
their  glee,  and  altogether  enjoyed  themselves  amazingly. 
The  delight  and  admiration  that  greeted  the  big  tin  boxes 
in  which  much  of  our  provender  was  packed  were  espe- 


Ill   I 


100 


NAN  SEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


m 


X. 


\  ' 


M 


cially  unmanageable,  and  the  tins  were  each  passed  round 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  every  edge  and  corner  carefully 
and  minutely  examined. 

As  soon  as  the  boats  were  empty  we  proposed  to  drag 
them  up,  but  here  again  all  insisted  on  giving  their  help. 
The  painter  was  brought  ashore,  manned  by  a  long  line 
stretching  far  up  the  rocks,  and  the  boats  hauled  up  each 
by  the  united  efforts  of  twenty  or  thirty  men.  This  was 
splendid  sport,  and  when  one  of  us  started  the  usual 
sailor's  chorus  to  get  them  to  work  together,  the  enthusi- 
asm reached  its  height. 

They  joined  in,  grown  folk  and  children  alike,  and 
laughed  till  they  could  scarcely  pull.  They  plainly 
thought  us  the  most  amusing  lot  of  people  they  had  ever 
seen.  When  the  boats  were  safe  ashore  we  proceeded  to 
pitch  our  tent,  an  operation  which  engaged  all  their  atten- 
tion, for  nothing  can  interest  an  Eskimo  so  much  as  any 
performance  which  belongs  to  his  own  mode  of  life,  such 
as  the  management  of  tents  and  boats  and  such  things. 
Here  their  astonishment  does  not  overcome  them,  for 
they  can  fully  understand  what  is  going  on.  In  this 
case  they  could  thus  admire  to  the  full  the  speedy  wav 
in  which  we  managed  to  pitch  our  little  tent,  which  was 
so  much  simpler  a  contrivance  than  their  great  compli- 
cated wigwams,  though  at  the  same  time  it  was  not  so 
warm. 

Our  clothes,  too,  and,  above  all,  the  Lapps'  dress,  came 
in  for  their  share  of  admiration.  The  tall,  square  caps, 
with  their  four  horns,  and  the  tunics  with  their  long,  wide 
skirts  and  edging  of  red  and  yellow,  struck  them  as  most 
rernarkable,  but  still  more  astonished  were  they,  of  course, 
in  the  evening,  when  the  two  Lapps  made  their  appear- 


AN  ESKIMO   ENCAMPMENT 


lOI 


ance  in  their  reindeer-skin  pelisses.  All  must  needs  go 
and  feel  them  and  examine  them,  and  stroke  the  hair  of 
tliis  wonderful  skin,  nothing  like  which  they  had  ever 
seen  before.  It  was  not  seal-skin,  it  was  not  bear-skin, 
nor  was  it  fox-skin.  "  Could  it  be  dog-skin }  "  they 
asked,  pointing  to  their  canine  companions.  When  we 
explained  that  it  was  nothing  of  that  kind  they  could  get 
no  further,  for  their  powers  of  imagination  had   reached 


e, 


i 


i 


KSKIMOS,    FROM    THE   CAMP    AT    CA  I'K    HILLE 
(From  a  fhotograpK) 

their  limit.  Balto  now  bes:an  to  s^ibber  and  make  some 
very  significant  movem.ents  with  his  hands  about  his 
head,  with  the  idea  of  representing  reindeer  horns,  but 
this  awoke  no  response.  Evidently  they  had  never  seen 
reindeer,  which  do  not  occur  on  that  part  of  the  east 
coast  which  they  frequent. 


■i 


102 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I         ! 


Then  we  distributed  the  eveninij  rations,  and  ate  our 
supper  sitting  at  the  tent-door,  and  surrounded  by  specta- 
tors. Men,  women,  and  children  stood  there  in  a  ring 
many  ranks  deep,  closely  watching  the  passage  of  every 
morsel  of  biscuit  to  om*  lips  and  its  subsequent  consump- 
tion. Thoucfh  their  mouths  watered  to  overflowing  at 
the  sight  of  these  luxuries,  we  were  constrained  to  take 
no  notice.  We  had  no  more  in  the  way  of  bread  than  we 
actually  needed,  and,  had  we  made  a  distribution  through- 
out all  this  hungry  crowd,  our  store  would  have  been 
much  reduced.  But  to  sit  there  and  devour  one's  biscuits 
under  the  fire  of  all  their  eyes  was  not  pleasant. 

Our  meal  over,  we  went  and  had  a  look  round  the 
encampment.  Down  by  the  water  were  a  number  of 
"  kaiaks  "  and  a  few  specimens  of  the  "  umiak  "  or  large 
skin-boat,  which  especially  interested  me.  One  of  the 
men  was  particularly  anxious  to  show  me  everything. 
Whatever  caught  my  eye,  he  at  once  proceeded  to  ex- 
plain the  use  of  by  signs  and  gestures.  Above  all,  he 
insisted  on  my  examining  his  own  "  kaiak,"  w^hich  was 
handsomely  ornamented  with  bone,  and  all  his  weapons, 
which  wTre  in  excellent  condition  and  profusely  deco- 
rated. His  great  pride  was  his  harpoon,  which,  as  he 
showed  me  triumphantly,  had  a  long  point  of  narwhal 
tusk.  He  explained  to  me,  too,  very  clearly  the  use  of 
the  th  rowing-stick,  and  how  much  additional  force  could 
be  given  to  the  harpoon  by  its  help.  Every  Eskimo  is 
especially  prouJ  of  his  weapons  and  "kaiak,"  and  expends 
a  large  amount  oi  work  on  thei'"  adornment. 

By  this  time  the  sun  had  set  and  the  night  fallen,  and 
consequently  the  elements  of  weirdness  and  unreality 
which  had  all  the  time  pervaded  this  scene,  with  its  sur- 


I 


. 


AN  ESKIMO   ENCAAirMENT 


103 


, 


roundings  of  snow  and  ice  and  curious  human  adjuncts, 
were  now  still  more  predominant  and  striking.  Dark 
forms  flitted  backward  and  forward  among  the  rocks, 
and  the  outlines  of  the  women  with  their  babies  on  their 
backs  were  especially  picturesque.  From  every  tent-door 
through  the  transparent  curtain  shone  a  red  glow  of  light, 
which  with  its  su<'u:estions  of  warmth  and  comfort  led  the 
fancy  to  very  different  scenes.  The  resemblance  to 
colored  lamps  and  Chinese  lanterns  brought  to  one's 
mind  the  illuminated  ijardens  and  summer  festivities 
away  at  home,  but  behind  these  curtains  there  lived  a 
happy  and  contented  race,  quite  as  happy,  perhajDs,  as 
any  to  which  our  thoughts  turned  across  the  sea. 

Then  bed-time  drew  near,  and  the  rest  we  sorely 
needed  after  the  scanty  sleep  of  the  last  few  days.  So 
we  spread  our  sleeping-bags  upon  the  tent-floor  and  be- 
gan the  usual  preparations.  But  here  again  our  move- 
ments aroused  the  keenest  interest,  and  a  deep  ring  ot 
onlookers  soon  [gathered  round  the  door.  The  removal 
of  our  garments  was  watched  with  attention  by  men  and 
women  alike,  and  with  no  sign  of  embarrassment,  except 
on  our  part.  Our  disappearance  one  by  one  into  the 
bags  caused  the  most  amusement,  and  when  at  last  the 
expedition  had  no  more  to  show  than  six  heads,  the  door 
of  the  tent  was  drawn  to  and  the  final  "  Good-night  " 
said. 

That  night  we  could  sleep  free  from  care  and  without 
keeping  watch,  and  it  was  a  good  night's  rest  we  had,  in 
spite  of  barking  dogs  and  other  disturbances.  It  was  late 
when  we  woke  and  heard  the  Eskimos  moving  busily 
about  outside.  Peeping  through  the  chinks  of  the  door, 
we  could  see  them  impatiently  pacing  up  and  down,  and 


104 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


\  it  ' 


iM 


I 


i^ 


waiting  for  the  tent  to  be  thrown  open  again  that  they 
might  once  more  feast  their  eyes  on  all  the  marvels  hid- 
den inside.  We  noticed  to-day,  and  we  supposed  it  was 
in  our  honor,  that  they  were  all  arrayed  in  their  best 
clothes.  Their  clean  white  frocks,  made  of  the  same  thin 
membraneous  skin  as  the  tent  curtains,  shone  as  brilliantly 
as  clean  linen  in  the  distance,  as  their  wearers  walked  uj) 
and  down  and  admired  their  own  magnificence.  Down 
by  our  boats,  too,  we  saw  a  whole  congregation,  some 
sitting  inside  and  others  standing  around.  Every  imple- 
ment and  every  fitting  was  handled  and  carefull}-  scru- 
tinized, but  nothing  disturbed  or  injured. 

Then  came  the  opening  of  the  door,  and  forthwith  a 
closely  packed  ring  of  spectators  gathered  around,  head 
appearing  above  head,  and  row  behind  row,  to  see  us 
lyir  g  in  our  bags,  our  exit  thence,  and  gradual  reinstate- 
ment in  our  clothes.  Of  all  our  apparel,  that  which 
excited  most  wonder  and  astonishment  was  a  colored  belt 
of  Christiansen's,  a  belt  resplendent  with  beads  and  huge 
brass  buckle.  This  must  needs  be  handled  and  examined 
by  each  and  all  in  turn,  and  of  course  produced  the  usual 
concerted  bellow.  Then  our  breakfast  of  biscuits  and 
water  was  consumed  in  the  same  silence  and  amid  the 
same  breathless  interest  as  our  supper  of  the  night 
before. 

After  breakfast  we  walked  about  the  place,  for  we  had 
determined  to  enjoy  life  for  this  one  morning  and  see 
what  we  could  of  these  people  before  we  left  them.  I 
had  tried,  unnoticed,  to  take  a  photograph  of  the  ring 
which  thronged  our  tent-door,  but  as  I  brought  the 
camera  to  bear  upon  the  crowd  some  of  them  saw  my 
manoeuvre,  and  a  stampede  began,  as   if  they  feared  a 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


105 


discharge  of  missiles  or  other  sorcery  from  the  apparatus. 
I  now  tried  to  catch  a  group  who  were  sitting  on  tiie 
rocks,  but  again  with  the  same  result.  So  the  only  expe- 
dient was  to  turn  my  face  away,  and  by  pretending  to  be 


"^.s^- 


"OUTSIDE    ONli    LITTLE   TENT    I    FOUND    AN    UNUSUALLY    SOClAliLE    WOMAN" 
(By  E.  Nielsen,  frotn  a  photograph') 

otherwise  engaged  to  distract  the  attention  of  my  victims 
and  meanwhile  secure  some  pictures. 

Then  I  took  a  tour  round  the  camping-ground  with  my 
camera.  Outside  one  little  tent,  which  stood  somewhat 
isolated,  I  found  an  unusually  sociable  woman,  apparently 
the  mistress  of  the  establishment.  She  was  relatively 
young,  of  an  attractive  appearance  altogether,  with  a  smil- 
ing face  and  a  pair  of  soft,  obliquely  set  eyes,  which  she 
made  use  of  in  a  particularly  arch  and  engaging  way. 
Her  dress  was  certainly  not  elegant,  but  this  defect  was, 
no  doubt,  due  to  her  established   position  as  a  married 


io6 


NANSEN  IN  ThE  FROZEN   WORLD 


V   i? 


1.  '^i , 


woman,  and  must  not  be  judi^cd  too  harshly.  In  her 
"  amaut,"  a  garment  vvliich  forms  a  kind  of  liood  or  bag 
behind,  she  had  a  svvartliy  baby,  which  she  seemed  very 
fond  of,  and  which,  Hke  many  of  the  mothers,  she  did  her 
best  to  induce  to  open  its  black  eyes  and  contemj)late  my 
insignificance.  This  was  partly,  no  doubt,  the  flattery  of 
the  coquette  ;  on  the  whole  we  got  on  very  well  together, 
and  unperceived  I  secured  several  phott)graphs.  Then 
the  master  came  out  of  the  tent,  and  showed  no  sign  of 
surprise  at  finding  his  wife  in  so  close  converse  with  a 
stranger.  He  had  evidently  been  asleep,  for  he  could 
hardly  keep  his  eyes  open  in  the  light,  and  had  to  resort 
to  a  shade,  or  rather  some  big  snow-spectacles  of  wood. 
He  was  a  strongly-built  man,  with  an  honest,  straightfor- 
ward look,  was  very  friendly,  and  showed  me  a  number  of 
his  things.  He  was  especially  proud  of  his  "  kaiak  "  hat, 
which  he  insisted  on  my  putting  on  my  head,  while  he 
meantime  unceremoniously  arrayed  himself  in  my  cap. 
This  performance  was  little  to  my  taste,  as  it  was  quite 
uncertain  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  exchange  to  me. 
Then  he  took  me  to  see  his  biii  boat  or  "  umiak,"  as  well 
as  other  of  his  possessions,  and  we  parted. 

I  went  on,  and  loo^-ed  into  some  other  tents.  In  one 
of  them  I  found  two  girls  who  had  just  taken  a  big  gull 
out  of  a  cooking-pot,  and  were  beginning  to  devour  it, 
each  at  work  with  her  teeth  on  one  end  of  the  body,  and 
both  beaming  with  delight  and  self-satisfaction.  The  bird 
still  had  most  of  its  feathers  on,  but  that  did  not  seem  to 
trouble  them  much.  Perhaps,  after  the  manner  of  the 
owl,  they  subsequently  ejected  them. 

Some  of  the  women  had  noticed  that  the  Lapps  used 
the  peculiar  grass  known  as  "  sennegraes,"  which  the  Eski- 


n 


/ 


A.V  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


107 


mos  also  use,  in  their  boots,  and  they  now  brouijjht  eacli 
of  us  a  huge  supjily  of  the  commodity,  smiUng  most  co- 
quettishly  as  they  made  their  offering.  We  expressed 
our  thanks,  of  course,  by  an  equally  lavish  disj)lay  of 
smiles.  Then  they  began  to  inquire,  by  means  of  signs, 
whether  we  had  no  needles  to  ^ive  them  in  return.  I 
could  have  gratified  them,  certainly,  since  I  had  brought 
a  number  of  these  articles  of  barter,  which  are  much 
prized  on  the  east  coast.  But  my 
real  object  was  to  keep  them  in 
case  we  had  to  spend  the  winter  in 
these  parts,  in  which  case  they  would 
have  proved  invaluable.  So  I  told 
them  that  we  could  not  let  them 
have  any  needles  in  exchange  for 
their  orj-ass,  and  ijave  them  instead 
a  tin  which  had  had  j^reserved  meat 
in.  This  made  them  simply  wild 
with  delight,  and  with  sparkling 
eyes  they  went  off  to  show  the 
others  their  new  acquisition.  The 
grass  came  in  very  handy  for  the 
two  Lapps,  whose  store  was  run- 
ning short,  and  without  this  grass 
in  his  shoes  a  Lapp  is  never  thor- 
oughly comfortable.  They  had  a 
deal  to  sav,  too,  about  this  Eskimo 
"  sennegrDES."  The  fact  that  these  people  had  sense 
enough  to  use  the  grass  impressed  Ravna  and  Balto  to  a 
certain  extent,  but  they  declared  it  had  been  gathered  at 
the  wrong  time  of  year,  being  winter  grass  taken  with 
the  frost  on  it,  instead  of  being  cut  fresh  and  then  dried, 


IHEN    TIIK    MASTKR    CAME 
OUT   OF   THE  tent" 

(From  a  fihotografih) 


Iti 


108 


NAXSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


in  accordance  with  the  practice  of  rational  beings.  It 
was  of  little  use  to  point  out  to  them  that  it  was  not  the 
habit  of  the  I£skimo  to  lay  up  greater  stores  of  such 
things  than  he  actually  needed  to  keep  him  going. 

But  the  time  of  our  departure  drew  near,  and  we  began 
by  degrees  to  make  our  preparations.  A  man  now  came 
up  to  us  and  asked  whether  we  were  going  northward. 
At  our  answer  in  the  affirmative  his  face  brightened 
amazingly,  and  it  proved  that  he  was  bound  in  the  same 
direction  with  his  party,  to  whom  he  went  at  once  and 
announced  the  news.  The  camp  was  now  a  scene  of 
lively  confusion,  and,  while  we  and  the  Eskimos  vied  with 
one  another  in  our  haste  to  strike  our  tents,  launch  our 
boats,  and  stow  our  goods,  the  dogs,  who  well  knew  what 
was  in  progress,  expended  their  energy  in  a  howling  com- 
petition. 

As  the  tent  we  had  spent  the  preceding  evening  in  was 
going  southward,  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  go  and 
make  some  return  for  the  presents  we  had  received.  So 
with  a  number  of  empty  meat-tins  I  went  in  and  found  a 
party  of  half-naked  men  taking  a  meal.  I  gave  them  one 
each,  which  delighted  them  hugely,  and  some  of  them 
at  once  showed  their  intention  of  using  them  as  drinkincf- 
vessels.  Outside  I  found  the  possessor  of  the  rifle,  who 
again  urged  upon  me  the  fact  that  he  had  no  ammunition 
for  it.  But  when  I  presented  him  with  a  large  tin  instead 
he  expressed  perfect  contentment  and  gratification. 

The  great  skin-tents  were  soon  down  and  packed  away 
in  the  boats.  It  was  indeed  quite  astonishing  to  see  the 
speed  with  which  these  Eskimos  made  ready  for  a  journey 
with  all  their  household  goods  and  worldly  possessions, 
though,  of  course,  there  were  a  great  number  of  helping 


.c 


A 


AN  ESKIMO  ENCAMPMENT 


109 


hands.     We   had  almost    finished  our  preparations    too, 
when  a  salt-box  was  pleased  to  discharge  its  contents  in 
the  middle  of  one  of  the  provision-bags.     This  had  to  be 
seen   to  at  once,  and  the   Eskimos  consequently  started 
before  us.     Two  of  the  boats  set  off  on  their  southward 
journey,  and  two  more  presently  disappeared  behind  the 
first  point  of  rock  to  the  north.     The  company  of  "  kai- 
akers,"  however,  were  still   left,  as  they  stayed   behind  to 
bid  each  other  a  more   tender  farewell,  before  they  j^arted, 
perhaps,  for  a  separation  of  some  years.     '!'his  leave-tak- 
ing gave  rise  to  one  of  the  most  comical  scenes  I  have 
ever  witnessed.     There  were  altogether  a  dozen  or  more 
of  their  little  canoes,  and  they  all  now  ranged  uj)  side  by 
side,  dressed  as  evenly  as  a  squad  of  soldiers.     This  ex- 
traordinary manoeuvre  roused  my  attention,  of  course,  and 
I  could   not   imagine  what  it  purported.      I   was  not  left 
long  in  ignorance,  however,  for  the  snuff-horns  were  pres- 
ently produced,  and   the   most   extravagant   excesses  fol- 
lowed.      Their  horns  were    opened  and  thrust   up   their 
noses  again  and  again,  till   every  nostril   must   have  been 
absolutely  filled  with  snuff.     Several  horns  were  in  circu- 
lation, and  each  came  at  least  twice  to  every  man,  so  that 
the  quantity  consumed  may  well  be  imagined.     I  wanted 
to  photograph   them,  but  lost  time  and  could  not  bring 
my  camera  to  bear  upon  them  before  the  line  was  broken, 
and  some  of  the  canoes  already  speeding  away  southward 
among  the  floes. 

This  (reneral  treatinof  with  snuff  is  the  mode  in  which 
the  Eskimos  take  leave  of  one  another,  and  is  a  very 
similar  performance  to  the  ceremonious  dram-drinking 
among  our  peasants  at  home.  In  this  particular  case 
only  those  who  had  come  from  the  south  had  anything  to 


t 


no 


A.LVSJSN  IN  TJ/E   IROZEN  WOKLD 


stand  treat  with.  They  were  evidently  fresh  from  the 
Danish  colonies  beyond  Crpe  r'arewell,  as  their  abundant 
supply  t)f  snuff  proved,  while  the  others  were  j^robably 
bound  south  on  a  similar  errand.  These  pilijjrimages 
occur  unfortunately  too  often,  though  their  emporium  lies 
at  no  trifling  distance  —  a  couple  of  years'  journey,  in 
fact,  for  those  who  live  farthest  up  the  coast. 

One  would  almost  expect  that  so  long  a  journey  would 


'THE   LlNli    WAS    lIRoKKiN,    AND    SOMK   OK   TIIK   CANOKS    ALREADY    SPEEDING 

AWAY   SOUTHWARD  AMONC.   THE   FI.OES " 

(From  a  fihotogtapli) 


'  li^ 


be  followed  by  a  long  stay  at  the  place  of  business.  But 
this  is  not  the  case,  and  the  Eskimo,  in  fact,  spends  little 
more  time  over  his  periodical  shopping  than  a  lady  of  the 
world  over  a  similar,  but  daily,  visit.  In  half  an  hour,  or 
an  hout  perhaps,  he  has  often  finished,  and  then  disap- 
pears again  on  his  long  journey  home.  A  shopping 
expedition  of  this  kind  will  therefore  often  take  four  years 


I  I 


or 


lap- 
ins: 


lars 


AN  ESKIMO  KXCAMJWIENT 


III 


at  least,  and  conscciucntly  a  n'>an'.s  ()j)i)()rtunitics  in  tliis 
way  in  the  course  of  a  lifetime  are  very  liniited.  These 
are  quite  enough,  however,  to  i)r()(luce  a  miscliievous 
effect.  One  is  apt  to  suppose  that  it  is  the  want  of  cer- 
tain useful  things,  otherwise  unattainable,  that  urges  them 
to  these  long  journeys;  but  this  is  scarcely  so,  for  the  real 
incentive  is  without  doubt  a  craving  for  tobacco.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  they  do  buy  some  useful  things,  like  iron, 
which  they  get  chiefly  in  the  form  of  old  hoops,  but  they 
really  have  a  good  sup])ly  of  such  things  already,  they  do 
not  use  them  much,  and  they  are  not  absolutely  necessary. 
Most  of  their  purchases  are  things  which  are  either  alto- 
gether valueless  or  else  actually  injurious. 

Among  the  latter  must  especially  be  reckoned  tobacco, 
which  is  the  commodity  of  all  others  most  desired,  and 
which  they  take  in  the  form  of  snuff.  Smoking  and 
chewing  are  unknown  on  this  coast,  but  their  absence  is 
made  uj)  for  by  all  the  greater  excess  in  snuff-taking,  the 
indulgence  in  which  is  quite  i)henomenal.  They  buy 
their  tobacco  in  the  form  of  twist,  and  prepare  it  them- 
selves, by  drying  it  well,  breaking  it  up,  and  grinding  it 
fine  on  stone.  Powdered  calcspar  or  quartz  or  other  rock 
is  often  added  to  the  snuff  to  make  it  go  further,  and  to 
increase,  it  is  said,  the  irritating  effect  upon  the  mucous 
membrane. 

In  addition  to  tobacco  they  buy  other  things  which 
certainly  have  an  injurious  effect  upon  them,  such  as, 
for  instance,  tea.  Coffee,  curiously  enough,  these  people 
have  not  learned  to  like,  though  this  drink  is  bliss  celes- 
tial to  the  west-coast  Eskimos. 

It  is  truly  fortunate  that  they  have  no  opportunity  of 
getting  spirits,  as  the  sale  is  absolutely  prohibited  by  the 


113 


NANSEN  IN  THE  EROAEN  WORLD 


i: 


Danish  (iovernmciit.  Of  other  Kuropcan  prochicts,  they 
l)iiy  biscuits,  tlour,  peas,  which  they  arc  particularly  fond 
of,  and  similar  things.  Articles  of  clothing,  too,  are  in 
great  demand,  such  as  thick  jerseys  from  the  l-'aroe 
Islands,  cotton  stuffs  for  outer  tunics,  and  material  out  of 
which  they  can  make  hats;  old  luiropean  clothes  are 
highly  valued,  and  they  have  an  idea  that  when  they  can 
dress  themselves  out  in  these  worn-out  rubbishy  garments 
they  cut  a  far  finer  figure  than  when  they  content  them- 
selves with  their  own  warm  and  becoming  dress  of  seal- 
skin. 

In  exchange  for  such  things,  which  are  of  little  value 
to  us  and  of  still  less  real  worth  to  them,  they  give  fine 
large  bear-skins,  fox-skins,  and  seal-skins,  which  they 
ought  to  keep  for  their  own  clothes  and  the  other  nu- 
merous purposes  for  which  they  can  be  used.  It  is,  of 
course,  unnecessary  to  remark  how  much  better  it  would 
b6  if  these  poor  Eskimos,  instead  of  decking  themselves 
out  in  European  rags,  would  keep  their  skins  for  them- 
selves, and  confine  themselves  to  those  regions  where 
they  have  their  homes,  instead  of  straying  to  the  outskirts 
of  European  luxury  and  civilization. 

When  the  Eskimos  have  at  length  consumed  their  pur- 
chases and  must  needs  return  to  the  old  manner  of  life, 
the  net  result  is  that  they  have  lost  a  number  of  useful 
possessions  and  have  acquired  a  feeling  of  want  and  long- 
ing for  a  number  of  unnecessary  things.  This  is,  in  fact, 
the  usual  way  that  the  blessings  of  civilization  first  make 
themselves  felt  upon  the  uncivilized. 


•■7 


•  '■ 


CHAPTFR   VII  ' 


'(JS 

m- 
lore 
:irts 

ur- 
ife, 
ful 
ng- 
act, 
ake 


1 


\  \ 


TIIK    (KOSSTNt;    f)l'     IIIK     INLAND     ICK —   lirK     FIRST    SICIIT 
()!•     LAND    AND    FIRST    DRINK    OF    WATFR 

i\s  the  middle  of  Scptcniljcr  ajiproaclu'd,  wc  hoped 
every  chiy  to  arrive  at  tlie  beginnini;  of  the  western  sl()j)e. 
To  judge  from  our  reckoning  it  coukl  not  be  far  off, 
though  I  had  a  suspicion  that  this  reckoning  was  some 
way  ahead  of  our  ol^servations.  These,  however,  I  i)ur- 
posely  omitted  to  work  out,  as  the  announcement  that  we 
had  not  advanced  as  far  as  we  supjjosed  woukl  have  been 
a  oitter  disappointment  to  most  of  the  party.  Their  cx- 
])ectations  of  soon  getting  the  first  siglit  of  hand  on  the 
western  side  were  at  their  height,  and  they  pushed  on 
confidently,  while  I  kept  my  doubts  to  myself  and  left 
the  reckoning  as  it  was. 

On  September  1 1  the  fall  of  the  ground  was  just  appre- 
ciable, the  theodolite  showing  it  to  be  about  a  third  of  a 
degree.  On  September  12  I  entered  in  my  diary  that 
"  we  are  all  in  capital  sj^irits,  and  hope  for  a  speedy 
change  for  the  better,  Balto  and  Dietrichson  being  even 
confident  that  we  shall  see  land  to-day.  They  will  need 
some  patience,  however,  as  we  are  still  9,000  feet  above 
the  sea  "  (we  were  really  about  8,250  feet  that  day),  "  but 
they  will  not  have  to  wait  very  long.  This  morning  our 
reckoning  made  us  out  to  be  about  seventy-five  miles 
from  bare  land,  and  the  ground  is  falling  well  and  con- 

^  P'rom  Nansen"s  Across  Greenland. 


i 


311'! 


11 


ill 


1' . 

|! 

!  ^ 

I  m 

5 ' 

iL 

114 


NAN  SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


tinuously."  The  next  clay  or  two  the  slope  grew  more 
and  more  distinct,  bat  the  incline  was  not  regular,  as  the 
ground  fell  in  great  undulations,  like  those  we  had  had 
to  climb  in  the  coarse  of  our  ascent. 

On  Septjmber  14  the  reckoning  showed  that  it  was 
only  about  thirty-five  miles  to  land.  But  even  now  we 
could  see  nothing,  which  the  Lapps  thought  was  very 
suspicious.  Ravna's  face  began  to  get  longer  and  longer, 
and  one  evening  about  this  time  he  said,  "  I  am  an  old 
Lapp,  and  a  silly  old  fool,  too ;  I  don't  believe  we  shall 
ever  get  to  the  coast."  I  only  answered,  "  That 's  quite 
true,  Ravna  ;  you  are  a  silly  old  fool."  Whereupon  he 
burst  out  laughing  :  "  So  it 's  quite  true,  is  it  —  Ravna  is 
a  silly  old  fool  .-*  "  and  he  evidently  felt  quite  consoled  by 
this  doubtful  compliment.  These  expressions  of  anxiety 
on  Ravna's  part  were  very  common. 

Another  day  Balto  suddenly  broke  out :  "  But  how  on 
earth  can  any  one  tell  how  far  it  is  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  when  no  one  has  been  across  }  "  It  was,  of  course, 
difficult  to  make  him  understand  the  mode  of  calculation ; 
but,  with  his  usual  intelligence,  he  seemed  to  form  some 
Idea  of  the  truth  one  day  when  1  showed  him  the  process 
on  the  map.  The  best  consolation  we  could  give  Balto 
and  Ravna  was  to  laugh  at  them  well  for  their  cowardice. 

The  very  pronounced  fall  of  the  ground  on  September 
17  certainly  was  a  comfort  to  us  all,  and  when  the  ther- 
mometer that  evening  just  failed  to  reach  zero  we  found 
the  temperature  quite  mild,  and  felt  that  we  had  entered 
the  abodes  of  summer  again.  It  was  now  only  nine  miles 
or  so  to  land  by  our  reckoning.  ^ 

It  was  this  very  day  two  months  that  we  had  left  the 
Jason.     This  happened  to  be  one  of  our  butter-mornings. 


V 


Ithe 


I 
{ 


THE    CROSSING    OF  THE   INLAND  JCE 


I'S 


the  very  gladdest  mornings  of  our  existence  at  the  time, 
and  breakfast  in  bed  with  a  good  cup  of  tea  brought  the 
whole  party  into  an  excellent  humor.  It  was  the  first 
time,  too,  for  a  long  while  that  the  walls  of  our  tent  had 
not  been  decorated  with  fringes  of  hoar-frost.  As  we 
\vcre  at  breakfast  we  were  no  little  astonished  to  hear,  as 
we  thought,  the  twittering  of  a  bird  outside ;  but  the 
sound  soon  stopped,  and  we  were  not  at  all  certain  of  its 
reality.  But  as  we  were  starting  again  after  our  one 
o'clock  dinner  that  day  we  suddenly  became  aware  of 
twitterings  in  the  air,  and,  as  we  stopped,  sure  enough 
we  saw  a  snow-bunting  come  flying  after  us.  It  wan- 
dered round  us  two  or  three  times,  and  jjlainly  showed 
signs  of  a  wish  to  sit  upon  one  of  our  sledges.  But  the 
necessary  audacity  was  not  forthcoming,  and  it  finally 
settled  on  the  snow  in  front  for  a  few  moments,  before 
it  flew  away  for  good  with  another  encouraging  little 
twitter. 

Welcome,  indeed,  this  little  bird  was.  It  gave  us  a 
friendly  greeting  from  the  land  we  were  sure  must  now 
be  near.  The  believers  in  good  angels  and  their  doings 
must  inevitably  have  seen  such  in  the  forms  of  these  two 
snow-buntings,  the  one  which  bade  us  farewell  on  the 
eastern  side,  and  that  which  offered  us  a  welcome  to  the 
western  coast.  We  blessed  it  for  its  cheering  song,  and 
with  warmer  hearts  and  renewed  strength  we  confidently 
went  on  our  way,  in  spite  of  the  uncomfortable  knowledge 
that  the  ground  was  not  falling  by  any  means  so  rapidly 
as  it  should  have  done.  In  this  w^ay,  however,  things 
were  much  better  next  day,  September  i8;  the  cold  con- 
sistently decreased,  and  life  grew  brighter  and  brighter. 
In  the  evening,  too,  the  wind  sprang  up  from  the  south- 


■t  ■ 
I' ''  '1 


ii6 


NAN  SEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


east,  and  I  hoped  we  should  really  get  a  fair  sailing  breeze 
at  last.  We  had  waited  for  it  long  enough,  and  sighed 
for  it,  too,  in  spite  of  Balto's  assurances  that  this  saiHng 
on  the  snow  would  never  come  to  anything. 

In  the  course  of  the  night  the  wind  freshened,  and  in 
the  morning  there  was  a  full  breeze  blowing.  Though, 
as  usual,  there  was  no  great  keenness  to  undertake  the 
rigging  and  lashing  together  of  the  sledges  in  the  cold 
wind,  we  determined,  of  course,  to  set  about  the  business 
at  once.  Christiansen  joined  Sverdrup  and  me  with  his 
sledge,  and  we  rigged  the  two  with  the  tent-floor,  while 
the  other  three  put  their  two  sledges  together. 

All  this  work,  especially  the  lashing,  was  anything  but 
delightful,  but  the  cruellest  part  of  it  all  was  that  while 
we  were  in  the  middle  of  it  the  wind  showed  siii^ns  of 
dropping.  It  did  not  carry  out  its  threat,  however,  and  at 
last  both  vessels  were  ready  to  start.  I  was  immensely 
excited  to  see  how  our  boat  would  turn  out,  and  whether 
the  one  sail  was  enough  to  move  both  the  sledges.  It 
was  duly  hoisted  and  made  fast,  and  there  followed  a 
violent  wrenching  of  the  whole  machine,  but  during  the 
operations  it  had  got  somewhat  buried  in  the  snow  and 
proved  immovable.  There  was  enough  wrenching  and 
straining  of  the  mast  and  tackle  to  pull  the  whole  to 
pieces,  so  we  harnessed  ourselves  in  front  with  all  speed. 
We  tugged  with  a  will  and  got  our  boat  off,  but  no  sooner 
had  she  begun  to  move  than  the  wind  brous^ht  her  rio-ht 
on  to  us,  and  o/er  we  all  went  into  the  snow.  We  were 
soon  up  again  for  another  trial,  but  with  the  same  result ; 
no  sooner  were  we  on  our  legs  than  we  were  carried  off 
them  again  by  the  shock  from  behind. 

This  process  having  been  gone  through  a  certain  num- 


THE   CROSSI.\G    OF  TJIE   INLAND    ICE 


117 


ber  of  times,  we  saw  plainly  that  all  was  not  right.  So 
we  arranged  that  one  of  us  should  stand  in  front  on  his 
ski  and  steer  by  means  of  a  staff  fixed  between  the  two 
sledges,  like  the  pole  of  a  carriage,  leaving  himself  to 
be  pushed  along  by  his  vessel,  and  only  keeping  it  at  a 


FIRSl'   ATTEMPTS    AT   SAILINC; 


respectful  distance  from  his  heels.  The  other  two  mem- 
bers of  the  crew  were  to  come  behind  on  their  ski, 
either  holding  on  to  the  sledges  or  following  as  best  they 
could. 

We  now  finally  got  under  way,  and  Sverdrup,  who  was 
to  take  the  first  turn  at  steering,  had  no  sooner  got  the 
pole  under  his  arm  than  our  vessel  rushed  furiously  off 
before  the  wind.  I  attached  myself  behind  at  the  side, 
riding  on  my  ski  and  holding  on  by  the  back  of  one  of 
the  sledges  as  well  as  I  could.  Christiansen  thought  this 
looked  like  too  risky  work,  and  came  dragging  along 
behind  on  his  ski  alone. 

Our  ship  flew  over  the  waves  and  drifts  of  snow  with  a 
speed  that  almost  took  one's  breath  away.     The  sledges 


ii8 


NAXS£N  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


struggled  and  groaned,  and  were  strained  in  every  joint 
as  they  were  whirled  over  the  rough  surface,  and  often 
indeed  they  simply  jumped  from  the  crest  of  one  wave  on 
to  another.  I  had  quite  enough  to  do  to  hang  on  behind 
and  keep  myself  upright  on  the  ski.  Then  the  ground 
began  to  fall  at  a  sharj)er  angle  than  any  wc  had  had  yet. 
The  pace  grew  hotter  and  hotter,  and  the  sledges  scarcely 
seemed  to  touch  the  snow.  Right  in  front  of  me  was 
sticking  out  the  end  of  a  ski,  which  was  lashed  fast  across 
the  two  sledges  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  them  together. 
I  could  not  do  anything  to  get  this  ski  end  out  of  the 
way,  and  it  caused  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  as  it  stuck 
out  across  the  points  of  my  own  ski,  and  was  always 
coming  into  collision  with  them.  It  w^as  worst  of  all  when 
we  ran  along  the  edge  of  a  drift,  for  my  ski  would  then 
get  completely  jammed,  and  I  lost  all  control  over  them. 
For  a  long  time  I  went  on  thus  in  a  continual  struggle 
with  this  hopeless  ski  end,  while  Sverdrup  stood  in  front 
gayly  steering  and  thinking  we  were  both  sitting  comfort- 
ably on  behind.  Our  ship  rushed  on  faster  and  faster; 
the  snow  flew  around  us  and  behind  us  in  a  cloud,  which 
gradually  hid  the  others  from  our  view. 

Then  an  ice-axe  which  lay  on  the  top  of  our  cargo 
began  to  get  loose  and  promised  to  fall  off.  So  I  worked 
myself  carefully  forward,  and  was  just  engaged  in  making 
the  axe  fast  when  we  rode  on  to  a  nasty  drift.  This 
brought  the  projecting  ski  end  just  across  my  legs,  and 
there  I  lay  at  once  gazing  after  the  ship  and  its  sail, 
which  were  flying  on  down  the  slope,  and  already  show- 
ing dimly  through  the  drifting  snow.  It  made  one  quite 
uncomfortable  to  see  how  quickly  they  diminished  in  size. 
I  felt  very  foolish  to  be  left  lying  there,  but  at  last  I  recov- 


I 


THE    CROSSING    OF  THE   INLAND  ICE 


119 


ered  myself  and  set  off  bravely  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel, 
which  was  by  this  time  all  but  out  of  sight.  To  my  great 
delight  I  found  that,  thanks  to  the  wind,  I  could  get  on 
at  a  very  decent  pace  alone. 

I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  found  the  ice-axe,  in  trying 
to  secure  which  I  had  come  to  grief.  A  little  way  farther 
on  I  caught  sight  of  another  dark  object,  this  time  some- 
thing square,  lying  in  the  snow.  This  was  a  box  which 
contained  some  of  our  precious  meat-chocolate,  and  which 
of  course  was  not  to  be  abandoned  in  this  way.  After  this 
I  strode  gayly  on  for  a  long  time  in  the  sledge-track,  with 
the  chocolate-box  under  one  arm  and  the  ice-axe  and  my 


rgo 


"AND   TIIKRF.    I    LAY    CAZING    AFTl-.R    TlIK    SHIP    AND    ITS    SAIL  " 

siaff  under  the  other.  Then  I  came  upon  several  more 
dark  objects  lying  straight  in  my  path.  These  proved  to 
be  a  fur  jacket  belonging  to  me,  and  no  less  than  three 
pemmican  boxes.  I  had  now  much  more  than  I  could 
carry,  so  the  only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  sit  down  and 
wait  for  succor  from  the  others  who  were  following  be- 
hind. All  that  could  now  be  seen  of  our  proud  ship  and 
its  sail  was  a  little  square  patch  far  away  across  the  snow- 
iield.       She  was  going  ahead   in  the  same  direction   as 


¥ 


^//gf-mw^i 


I20 


NANSEIV  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


I 


h 


ii 


I 


before,  but  as  I  watched  I  suddenly  saw  her  brought  up 
to  the  vvitid,  the  tin  boxes  of  her  cargo  ghtter  in  the  sun, 
and  her  sail  fall.  Just  then  Christiansen  came  up  with  me, 
followed  not  long  after  by  the  other  vessel.  To  them  we 
handed  over  some  of  our  loose  boxes,  but  just  as  we  were 
stowing  them  away  Balto  discovered  that  they  had  lost  no 
less  than  three  pemmican  tins.  These  were  much  too  val- 
uable to  be  left  behind,  so  the  crew  had  to  go  back  and 
look  for  them. 

Meanwhile  Christiansen  and  I  started  off  again,  each 
with  a  tin  box  under  his  arm,  and  soon  overtook  Sverdrup. 
W'e  now  sat  down  to  wait  for  the  others,  which  was  not 
an  agreeable  job  in  this  bitter  wind. 

Sverdrup  told  us  that  he  had  sailed  merrily  off  from  the 
very  start,  had  found  the  whole  thing  go  admirably,  and 
thought  all  the  time  that  we  two  were  sitting  comfortably 
on  behind.  He  could  not  see  behind  him  for  the  sail,  but 
after  a  long  while  he  began  to  wonder  why  there  was  not 
more  noise  among  the  passengers  in  the  stern.  So  he 
made  an  approach  to  a  conversation,  but  got  no  answer. 
A  little  farther  on  he  tried  again  and  louder,  but  with  the 
same  result.  Then  he  called  louder  still,  and  lastly  began 
to  shout  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  but  still  there  was  no 
response.  This  state  of  things  needed  further  investiga- 
tion ;  so  he  brought  his  boat  up  to  the  wind,  went  round 
behind  the  sail  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  was  not 
a  little  concerned  to  find  that  both  his  passengers  had 
disappeared.  He  tried  to  look  back  along  his  course 
through  the  drifting  snow,  and  he  thought  he  could  see 
a  black  spot  far  away  behind.  This  must  have  been  my 
insignificant  figure  sitting  upon  the  lost  tin  boxes.  Then 
he   lowered   his  sail,  which  was  not  an  easy  matter  in 


I 


THE   CROSSIXG   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE 


121 


the  wind  that  was  blowing,  and  contented  himself  to  wait 
for  us. 

We  had  to  sit  a  long  time  before  the  others  caught  us 
up  again.  We  could  just  see  the  vessel  through  the  snow, 
but  her  sail  was  evidently  not  up,  and  of  her  crew  there 
was  not  a  sign.  At  last  we  caught  sight  of  three  small 
specks  far  away  up  the  slope  and  the  glitter  of  the  sun 


"SAILINi;    ON   THF.  INLAND    ICE" 


on  the  tins  they  were  carrying.     Presently  the  sail  was 
hoisted,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  joined  us. 

We  now  lashed  the  sledgres  better  together  and  made 
the  cargo  thoroughly  fast,  in  order  to  escape  a  repetition 
of  this  performance.  Then  we  rigged  up  some  ropes  be- 
hind, to  which  the  crew  could  hold  or  tie  themselves,  and 
thus  be  tow^ed  comfortably  along.  In  this  way  we  got  on 
splendidly,  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  had  a  more  glo- 
rious run  on  ski. 


12: 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLT^ 


I 


A  while  later  Svcrdrup  declared  that  he  had  had 
enough  of  steering,  and  I  therefore  took  his  place.  Wc 
had  now  one  good  slope  after  another  and  a  strong  wind 
behind  us.  We  travelled  as  we  should  on  the  best  of 
ski  hills  at  home,  and  this  for  hour  after  hour.  The 
steering  is  exciting  work.  One  has  to  keep  one's  tongue 
straight  in  one's  mouth,  as  we  say  at  home,  and,  whatever 
one  does,  take  care  not  to  fall.  If  one  did,  the  whole 
conveyance  would  be  upon  one,  and  once  under  the  run- 
ners and  driven  along  by  the  impetus,  one  would  fare 
badly  indeed,  and  be  lucky  to  get  off  without  a  complete 
smash-up.  This  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  so  it  was 
necessary  to  keep  one's  wits  about  one,  to  hold  the  ski 
well  together,  grip  the  pole  tight,  watch  the  ground  in- 
cessantly, so  as  to  steer  clear  of  the  worst  drifts,  and  for 
the  rest  take  things  as  they  came,  while  one's  ski  flew  on 
from  the  crest  of  one  snow-wave  to  another. 

Our  meals  were  not  pleasant  intervals  that  day,  and  we 
therefore  got  through  them  as  quickly  as  we  could.  We 
stopped  and  crept  under  shelter  of  the  sails,  which  were 
only  half  lowered  on  purpose.  The  snow  drifted  over  us 
as  we  sat  there,  but  the  wind  at  least  was  not  so  piercing 
as  in  the  open.  We  scarcely  halted  for  the  usual  choco- 
late distributions,  and  took  our  refreshment  as  we  went 
along. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  —  this  notable  day  by 
the  way  was  September  19  —  just  as  we  were  sailing  our 
best  and  fastest,  we  heard  a  cry  of  joy  from  the  party  be- 
hind, Balto's  voice  being  prominent  as  he  shouted  "  Land 
ahead ! " 

And  so  there  was;  through  the  mist  of  snow,  which 
was  just  now  a  little  less  dense,  we  could  see  away  to  the 


I; 


V 


THE   CROSSING    OF   THE   INLAND   ICE 


•23 


west  a  long,  dark  mountain  ridge,  and  to  the  south  of  it 
a  smaller  peak.  Rejoicings  were  loud  and  general,  for 
the  goal  toward  which  we  had  so  long  struggled  was  at 
last  in  sight. 

Halto's  own  account  of  the  occurrence  runs  as  follows : 
"  While  we  were  sailing  that  afternoon  I  caught  sight  of 
a  black  spot  a  long  way  off  to  the  west.  I  stared  and 
stared  at  it  till  I  saw  that  it  reallv  was  bare  <rround. 
Then  I  called  to  Dietrichson,  '  I  can  see  land!'  I)ie- 
trichson  at  once  shouted  to  the  others  that  Balto  could 
see  land  away  to  the  west.  And  then  we  rejoiced  to  see 
this  sight,  which  we  had  so  often  longed  to  see,  and  new 
courage  came  into  our  hearts,  and  hope  that  we  should 
now  happily  and  without  disaster  cross  over  this  ice- 
mountain,  which  is  the  greatest  of  all  ice-mountains.  If 
we  had  spent  many  more  days  upon  the  ice,  I  fear  that 
some  of  us  would  have  fared  badly.  As  soon  as  Nansen 
heard  this  he  stopped  and  gave  us  two  pieces  of  meat- 
chocolate  each.  It  was  always  our  custom,  when  we 
reached  a  spot  \.'hich  we  had  long  wished  to  reach,  to 
treat  ourselves  to  the  best  food  we  had.  So  when  we 
came  to  land  after  drifting  in  the  ice,  when  we  reached 
Umivik,  when  we  had  climbed  to  the  highest  point  of 
Greenland,  when  we  now  first  saw  land  on  the  west  side, 
and  lastly,  when  we  first  set  foot  upon  bare  ground  again, 
we  were  treated  to  our  very  best  —  which  was  jam, 
American  biscuits,  and  butter." 

Though  this  first  land  we  saw  lay  a  little  to  the  north 
of  the  line  we  had  hitherto  been  following,  I  steered  for 
it  nevertheless,  because  the  ice  in  this  direction  seemed  to 
fall  away  more  rapidly.  However,  the  point  was  soon 
hidden  in  the  snow  again,  and  we  went  on  with  the  wind 


1: 


1,1 


124 


NAXSEN  /X  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


strai^Iit  behind  us  for  tlic  rest  of  the  afternoon  without 
getting  any  further  sight  of  land.  The  wind  grew 
stronger  and  stronger,  we  flew  down  slope  after  slope, 
and  everything  went  famously. 

A  while  later  both  the  gradient  and  the  wind  slackened 
off  for  a  time,  but  as  evening  began  the  breeze  freshened 
and  the  slope  grew  steeper,  and  we  rushed  along  through 
the  dense  driving  snow  more  furiously  than  ever.  It  was 
already  growing  dusk,  when  I  suddenly  saw  m  the  gen- 
eral obscurity  something  dark  lying  right  in  our  path.  I 
took  it  for  some  ordinary  irregularity  in  the  snow,  and 
unconcernedly  steered  straight  ahead.  The  next  mo- 
ment, when  I  was  within  no  more  than  a  few  yards,  I 
found  it  to  be  something  very  different,  and  in  an  instant 
swung  round  sharp  and  brought  the  vessel  uj)  to  the 
wind.  It  was  high  time,  too,  for  we  were  on  the  very 
edge  of  a  chasm  broad  enough  to  swallow  comfortably 
sledges,  steersman,  and  passengers.  Another  second  and 
we  should  have  disappeared  for  good  and  all.  We  now 
shouted  with  all  our  might  to  the  others,  who  were  com- 
ing  gayly  on  behind,  and  they  managed  to  luff  in  time. 

Here  also  Balto  has  something  to  say :  "  The  same 
evening  while  we  were  still  sailing  along  —  it  may  have 
been  about  half-past  seven  and  it  was  rather  dark  —  we 
saw  Nansen,  who  was  in  front  on  his  ski,  signalling 
wildly  to  us,  while  he  shouted,  '  Don't  come  here ;  it  is 
dangerous  ! '  We,  who  were  tearing  along  at  full  speed, 
found  it  difficult  to  stop,  and  had  to  swing  around  and 
throw  ourselves  on  our  sides.  At  the  same  time  we  saw 
in  front  of  us  an  awful  crack  in  the  ice,  which  was  many 
hundred  feet  deep." 

As  to  the  rest  of  the  day's  sail  my  diary  says :  "  This 


I 


THE  CROSSING   OF  THE  INLAND  ICE 


135 


SAILING    IN     MOUNLKIHT.       "WIIKN      1111:. SNOW    I.OdKKD     IKKAC  II  I.KUlS    I    HAD     l<i 
(;0   CAUTIOUSLY   ANn    I'SK    MY    SIAKK" 


\e 
g 


'  I 


was  the  first  crevasse,  but  was  not  likely  to  be  the  only 
one,  and  we  must  now  go  warily.  It  was  suggested  that 
it  was  hardly  advisable  to  sail  any  farther  that  evening, 
but  I  thought  it  too  early  to  stop  yet,  as  we  must  take 
advantage  of  the  wind.  So  I  left  the  sledges  and  went 
on  in  front  to  reconnoitre,  while  Sverdrup  undertook  the 
steerinc:  of  our  boat,  and  the  sails  of  both  of  them  were 
taken  in  a  bit.  The  wind  was  strong  enough  even  to 
blow  me  along,  and  1  could  run  long  stretches  without 
moving  a  muscle,  and  so  covered  the  ground  fast. 

"  When  the  snow  looked  treacherous  I  had  to  go 
cautiously  and  use  my  staff  to  see  whether  I  had  solid 
ground  under  foot,  and,  if  not,  to  signal  to  the  others  to 
wait  till  I  had  found  a  safer  route.  In  spite  of  all  precau- 
tions, Sverdrup  and  Christiansen  all  but  came  to  grief 
once,  as  the  snow  fell  in  behind  them  just  as  they  had 
passed    over   an    unsuspected    crevasse.     Meantime    the 


126 


N.tNSEN  IN  T}FE  FROZEN   WORLD 


I 


/; 


■    it 


vviiul  was  steadily  increasing,  and  the  sails  had  to  be 
taken  in  more  a-d  more  to  prevent  the  sledges  overrun- 
ning me.  As  we  were  all  getting  hungry,  biscuits  were 
served  out,  but  no  halt  was  made  to  eat  them. 

"  It  was  rapidly  getting  dark,  but  the  full  moon  was  now 
rising,  and  she  gave  us  ligiit  enough  to  see  and  avoid  the 
worst  crevasses.  It  was  a  curious  sight  for  me  to  see  the 
two  vessels  comiuLT  rushing  along  behind  me,  with  their 
square  vlking-like  sails  showing  dark  against  the  white 
snow-field  and  the  big  round  disc  of  the  moon  behind. 

"  Faster  and  faster  I  go  Hying  on,  while  the  ice  gets 
more  and  more  difficviit.  There  is  worse  still  ahead,  I  can 
see,  and  in  another  moment  I  am  into  it.  The  ground  is 
here  seamed  with  crevasses,  but  they  are  full  of  snow  and 
not  dangerous.  Every  now  and  then  I  feel  my  staff  go 
through  into  space,  but  the  cracks  are  narrow  and  the 
sledges  glide  easily  over.  Presently  I  cross  a  broader  one, 
and  see  just  in  front  of  me  a  huge  black  abyss.  I  creep 
cautiously  to  its  edge  on  the  sli})pery  ice,  which  here  is 
covered  by  scarcely  any  snow,  and  look  down  into  the 
deep,  dark  chasm.  Beyond  it  I  can  see  crevasse  after  cre- 
vasse, running  parallel  with  one  another,  and  showing 
dark  blue  in  the  moonlight.  I  now  tell  the  others  to  stop, 
as  this  is  no  ground  to  traverse  in  the  dark,  and  we  must 
halt  for  the  night. 

"In  the  west  we  could  now  see  land  again  against  the 
evening  sky,  which  still  shows  a  faint  trace  of  day.  They 
were  the  same  mountains  we  had  first  seen,  but  they  now 
tower  high  above  the  horizon,  and  to  the  south  of  these 
peaks  again  there  is  a  long  ridge  of  rock  protruding  from 
the  snow. 

"  It  was  a  difficult  business  to  gee  the  tent  up  in  this 


i 
4 


• 


THE   CKOSSJXG   01'   THE  JXLAXD  ICE 


«27 


jse 
|m 

lis 


stronu;  wind,  and  on  the  hard,  slipj)cry  ice,  whicli  gave  no 
hold  for  our  guy-ropes,  and  we  had  to  cut  deep  holes 
before  we  could  make  our  staffs  do  duty  as  i)egs.  /\t  last, 
after  having  fared  worse  than  usual  with  the  cold,  we  got 
the  tent  up  and  were  able  to  crawl  into  a  jjartial  shelter. 
No  one  was  inclined  to  do  any  cooking  that  evening,  as 
even  inside  the  tent  the  wind  was  much  too  aggressive, 
and  the  little  feast  which  was  to  do  honor  to  the  day,  and 
which  we  had  much  looked  forward  to,  was  j)ut  off  till 
next  morning.  So  we  were  content  to  divide  our  last 
piece  of  CJruyere  cheese,  and  then,  well  pleased  with  our- 
selves and  our  day's  work,  creej)  into  our  sleejiing-bags. 
I  now  discovered  for  the  first  time  that  I  had  got  the  fin- 
gers of  both  my  hands  frozen  during  the  afternoon's  sail. 
It  was  too  late  now  to  rub  them  with  snow,  as  thev  had 
begun  to  thaw  on  their  own  account,  but  that  night  the 
pain  they  gave  me  was  almost  unendurable,  till  I  fell 
asleej)  in  spite  of  it." 

Early  next  morning,  September  20,  I  started  up  with 
the  consciousness  that  I  had  forgotten  to  wind  my  watch 
up  over-night.  Unluckily  Svcrdrup  had  done  exactly  the 
same,  and  though  we  wound  them  both  up  at  once  it  was 
now  too  late.  This  was,  of  course,  rather  unfortunate  for 
our  longitude  observations,  but  we  were  now  so  near  land 
that  we  could  reckon  our  position  with  tolerable  exacti- 
tude neverthele  s. 

When  we  loc  ,ved  out  of  the  tent  w^e  could  sec  the  whole 
country  to  the  south  of  Godthaabsfjord  lying  spread  out 
before  us,  a  rough  mountainous  tract  with  many  deep  val- 
leys and  lofty  peaks.  Those  who  remember  their  first 
sight  of  a  mountain  landscape  in  their  childhood,  with  its 
sunlit  peaks  and  stretches  of   glittering  snow ;  who  can 


f 


^ 


128 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


remember  how  this  new  mysterious  world  fascinated  and 
aHured  them  —  they  will  understand  what  our  feelings 
were  this  morning.  We  were  just  like  children,  as  we  sat 
and  gazed,  and  followed  the  lines  of  the  valleys  down- 
ward in  the  vain  search  for  a  glimpse  of  the  sea.  It  was 
a  fine  country  that  lay  before  us,  wild  and  grand  as  the 
western  coast  of  Norway.  Fresh  snow  lay  sj^rinkled  about 
the  mountain  tops,  between  which  were  deep  black  gorges. 
At  the  bottom  of  these  were  t'le  fjords,  which  we  could 
fancy,  but  could  not  see.  A  journey  to  Godthaab  in  this 
kind  of  country  looked  anything  but  a  simple  matter. 

We  enjoyed  our  grand  breakfast  at  our  ease  and  leisure 
this  morning,  made  tea  unlimited,  and  simply  revelled  in 
cheese  and  oatmeal  biscuits.  It  was  glorious  to  have  a 
treat  like  this  once  in  a  way.  The  morning  was  well  gone 
before  we  got  finally  on  the  move.  In  the  darkness  of 
the  evening  before  we  had  sailed  into  some  very  rough  fis- 
sured ice,  and  we  now  had  to  bear  away  to  the  south  to 
avoid  the  worst  crevasses  and  reach  smoother  crround.  The 
snow  throughout  this  day's  march  was  partly  blown  into 
drifts,  especially  where  there  was  any  unevenness  in  the 
ice  to  catch  it,  and  partly  swept  away  by  the  wind,  leaving 
the  surface  slippery  and  bare. 

Presently  we  reached  the  top  of  a  long,  steep  slope 
which  had  to  be  descended.  Sverdrup  and  I  started  down 
on  our  ski  and  had  a  fine  run.  But  our  sledge  was  dif- 
ficult to  steer,  and  we  had  huge  crevasses  on  each  side,  so 
at  last  we  were  constrained  to  take  our  ski  off  for  safety's 
,ake.  We  then  went  on,  standing  each  on  a  runner  of 
the  sledge,  and  scraping  and  breaking  with  our  feet  in 
order  to  keep  clear  of  the  crevasses.  The  Lapps  during 
this  run  were  especially  reckless,  and  let  their  sledge  rush 


THE   CROSSING    OF  TIIK   INLAND  ICE 


129 


ahead  r  "h  as  it  pleased.  A  little  farther  down  we  came 
upon  a  i.it  piece  of  ice,  which  was  so  slij)pery  that  it  was 
quite  difficult  to  cross.  It  looked  like  the  frozen  surface 
of  a  lake  or  pool.  Beyond  this  we  found  ourselves  in 
some  nasty  ice  again,  and  after  I  had  fallc  1  through  the 
snow  several  times  1  thought  it  best  to  put  the  ski  on 
again.  With  them  t)ne  is  of  course  much  safer,  as  when 
one  slides  across  the  narrower  crevasses  their  great  length 


fCJASriNC    IxiWN    TIIK    Sl.OI'KS 


,ope 
own 
dif- 
so 
ity's 
of 
in 
•mg 
ush 


will  generally  hold  one  up.  At  this  time  we  had  a  nasty 
experience,  as  our  sledge  came  lengthways  ujDon  a  cre- 
vasse, the  snow-cornice  of  which  gave  way  under  one  of 
the  runners,  and  we  only  managed  to  drag  it  on  to  firm 
ground  just  as  the  whole  mass  of  snow  was  falling  in  be- 
neath it.  Ravna  and  Balto  nearly  got  into  a  worse  scrape 
once,  when  they  tried  to  take  a  short  cut  instead  of  follow- 
ing our  course.  They  slid  down  on  to  a  huge  wide  fissure, 
whereupon  one  of  the  runners  cut  straight  through  the 
snow  and  all  but  upset  the  sledge,  and  it  was  only  by  the 
skin  of  their  teeth  that  they  escaped.      I   was  furiously 


130 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   ERO/JiN  WORLD 


f  V 


i 


angry  with  thcni,  of  course,  and  rated  thcni  well  for  not 
bcinu  content  to  let  us  who  went  in  front  run  such  risks 
as  were  necessary.  Christiansen,  too,  was  once  on  the 
poin..  (  '  -osing  his  sledge  in  much  the  same  way. 

In  tne  afternoon  we  had  a  hailstorm  from  the  south  and 
southeast.  The  hail  stung  our  faces  and  the  wind  contin- 
ually blew  the  sledges  around,  so  that  hauling  became  hard 
and  difficult  work.  In  this  respect  Sverdrup  and  I  were 
worst  off,  as  our  load  was  very  bulky  and  lay  high  on  the 
sledge,  which  therefore  exposed  a  large  surface  to  the 
wind.  The  steel  bars  or  keels  under  the  runners  would 
here  have  been  an  advantage,  but  they  had  long  ago  given 
way  on  the  rough  ice  of  the  east  coast. 

We  stopped  for  the  day  on  a  little  flat,  on  which  there 
was  just  enough  drifted  snow  to  hold  our  staffs,  and  the 
pitching  of  the  tent  was  thus  a  simple  matter.  We  had 
flattered  ourselves  that  we  should  come  within  very  easy 
distance  of  land,  if  not  reach  it  altogether,  this  evening, 
and  we  were  considerably  disappointed  when  it  seemed 
to  us  at  the  end  of  the  day  that  we  were  almost  as  far  off 
as  ever. 

Next  day,  September  21,  snow  was  falling,  and  we 
could  see  nothing  either  of  the  land  or  the  ice  around  us. 
We  had  to  grope  our  way  as  best  we  could,  and  there 
was  no  possibility  of  choosing  the  most  advantageous 
course. 

Toward  noon  we  stopped  in  order  to  get  an  observa- 
tion, if  it  WTre  possible,  as  the  sun  now  and  again  showed 
through  the  clouds.  It  was  most  important  that  we 
should  know  where  we  were,  and  the  day  before  I  had 
been  too  late  for  the  purpose,  having  made  a  mistake 
about  the  time  owing  to  my  omission  to  wind  my  watch 


L!  ff  ■ 


THE    CROSSIXG    Of  THI:    LXLAXD    ICE 


131 


ning, 
eenicd 
ar  off 

we 

id  us. 

there 

Igeous 

^erva- 
owed 
t  we 
had 
stake 
/'atch 


up.  Luckily  this  time  the  sun  was  visible  for  a  while, 
and  I  was  able  to  get  the  altitude,  my  reckoning  putting 
us  at  about  lat.  64°  13'  N.  This  position  was  a  little 
more  northerly  than  I  should  have  liked,  the  reason  being 
that  I  had,  as  I  have  said,  steered  too  much  to  the  north 
as  we  were  sailing  after  we  came  within  sight  of  land. 
As  it  will  appear,  we  now  had  to  pay  some  days'  penalty 
for  the  mistake.  If  we  had  ke])t  our  original  more  south- 
erly course,  we  should  [probably  have  been  able  to  sail 
riirht  down  on  to  the  land  itself. 

We  now,  therefore,  turned  more  to  the  south  when  we 
set  off  again.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  Sxcrdrup 
and  I  had  a  disagreement  as  to  our  best  route  — a  thing 
which  rarely  happened.  Me  wanted  to  take  us  more  to 
the  right  up  on  to  a  ridge,  as  he  had  through  the  snow 
seen  crevasses  down  below  in  front  of  us.  I  had  seen 
nothing  of  the  kind,  and  preferred  to  keep  away  to  the 
left ;  but  after  some  discussion  Sverdrup  prevailed,  and 
we  climbed  the  ridge,  Init  only  to  find  ourselves  in  the 
middle  of  some  terrible  crevasses.  They  were  worse 
than  any  we  had  hitherto  had  to  deal  with,  and  we  were 
very  glad  to  clear  out  again  and  bear  away  more  to  the 
south.  Here  we  found  a  tolerably  smooth  stretch  of  ice 
forming  the  bottom  of  a  valley  between  two  ridges,  which 
were  both  quite  a  network  of  fissures.  This  alley  or  fur- 
row narrowed  in  front  of  us,  and  ended  in  a  defile,  where 
the  two  ridges  almost  met.  Here  there  was  an  abrupt 
fall  in  the  ground,  and  the  ice  was  uncomfortably  rough. 
The  place  looked  all  but  impracticable,  and  it  was  clearly 
no  use  trying  to  push  on  any  farther  while  the  weather 
was  so  thick.  It  seemed  very  likely  that  we  had  come 
too  far  already. 


'' 


is» 


NANSEN  IN  THE  EJWZEN   WORLD 


So  it  was  settled  that  Dietrichson,  Ravna,  and  Balto 
should  pitch  the  tent,  while  Sverdrup,  Christiansen,  and  I 
should  ({o  down  and  see  whether  this  broken  ice  would 
allow  of  a  passage.  Balto  in  his  quality  of  under-cook 
was  told  to  set  the  apjjaratus  going,  and  have  everything 
ready  by  the  time  we  came  back — some  good  i)ea-soup 
and  plenty  of  hot  water  in  the  upper  vessel,  so  that  we 
could  have  some  lemon-grog  after  supi)er. 

We  three  soon  had  the  Alpine  roj^e  round  our  waists 
and  set  off  downward.  The  ice  was  im usually  rough 
and  hard  to  pass,  a  simple  chaos  of  sharp  edges  with  fis- 
sures in  between ;  but  it  was  not  dangerous,  as  the  clefts 
were  as  a  rule  not  deep. 

We  had  not  gone  far  before,  to  my  astonishment,  I  saw 
a  little  dark  spot  down  below  us  between  some  ridges 
covered  with  snow.  It  looked  amazingly  like  water,  but 
it  was  quite  possible  that  it  was  only  ice,  so  I  said  nothing 
to  the  others.  But  when  I  reached  it  and,  putting  my 
stafT  in,  met  with  no  resistance,  our  surprise  and  delight 
were  quite  unbounded.  We  threw  ourselves  down,  ]3ut 
our  lips  to  the  surface,  and  sucked  up  the  water  like 
horses.  After  a  month  of  incessant  thirst  and  limited 
rations,  the  pleasure  of  having  abundance  of  drink  was 
indescribable.  How  many  quarts  <!^  swallowed  I  should 
not  like  to  say,  but  we  plainly  felt  ourselves  swell  within 
and  without  during  the  operation.  We  then  went  on 
refreshed,  but  before  we  had  gone  far  we  heard  some  one 
shouting  behind,  and  saw  little  Ravna  running  after  us 
as  fast  as  his  short  legs  w^ould  carry  him.  We  waited, 
fearing  that  there  was  something  wrong  in  the  camp,  and 
I  was  much  relieved  to  hear,  when  he  came  up,  that  all 
he  wanted  was  the  wicks  for  the  spirit-lamp,  which  I  usu- 


1 


THE   CROSSING    OF  THE   INLAND   ICE 


»33 


ally  carried  in  my  pocket  to  keep  theni  dry.  I  was  anx- 
ious to  know  whether  he  had  seen  the  water,  for  Ravna 
was  the  worst  of  all  of  us  to  drink  when  he  had  the 
chance,  and  I  was  half  afraid  that  he  would  <j:o  at  it  till 
he  made  himself  ill.  He  had  seen  the  water,  he  told  us, 
but  had  not  had  time  to  attend  to  it  as  he  came  down, 
though  he  meant  to  make  up  for  the  omission  on  the  way 
back. 

So  we  sent  him  off  again  and  went  on  with  our  explora- 
tion. We  presently  found  ourselves  among  the  roughest 
ice  1  had  ever  seen,  and  all  that  1  knew  of  from  Captain 
Jensen's  descriptions  was  nothing  com})ared  to  this. 
Absolutely  imjjassable  it  was  not,  but  ridge  upon  ridge, 
each  sharper  and  more  impracticable  than  its  neighbor, 
lay  i.i  all  directions,  while  between  them  were  deep  clefts, 
often  half  full  of  water,  which  was  covered  with  a  thin  skin 
of  ice  not  stront;  enough  to  bear. 

Darkness  was  already  coming  on  when  we  finally 
turned  homeward.  We  were  wretchedly  done  up  by 
having  to  toil  over  this  rough  ground,  on  which  the  soft 
snow  lay  deep  in  jolaces,  and  were  much  comforted  when 
we  at  last  cauirht  siirht  of  the  tent  in  the  distance.  As 
we  passed  the  pool  again  we  must  needs  have  another 
drink.  We  lay  down  and  let  the  w^ater  fairly  flow  down 
our  throats.  Our  foreheads  irrew  numb  and  cold,  but 
that  did  not  stoj)  us.  L"  was  a  truly  divine  pleasure  to  be 
able  once  more  to  drink  to  the  very  end  of  one's  thirst. 
A  cheering  smell  of  good  pea-soup  met  us  as  we  entered 
our  little  tent,  where  we  found  the  others  squatting  around 
the  cooking  machine.  Balto  had  everything  hot  and 
ready  for  us,  and  was  very  proud  of  having  carried  out 
his  orders  to  the  letter. 


I       i 


!l 


'II 

I 
i 

i 


134 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN    WORLD 


His  description,  too,  will  serve  to  tell  us  what  the  rest 
of  the  i)arty  did  while  we  were  away. 

"  The  other  three  went  off  with  a  rope  round  their 
waists  to  look  for  a  way,  while  we  —  that  is,  Ravna,  Die- 
trichson,  and  1  —  stayed  behind  to  })ut  up  the  tent.  I 
had  to  make  some  pea-soup,  too,  for  I  was  cook.  So 
I  got  the  machine  out,  but  then  found  that  there  were 
no  wicks,  as  Nansen  had  them  in  his  pocket.  So  I  sent 
Ravna  off  to  get  them,  and  when  he  came  back  he  said 
he  had  found  water  and  drunk  his  stomach  full.  When 
I  heard  this  1  caught  up  a  tin  box  and  ran  as  hard  as  I 
could  go  till  I  reached  the  pool.  Then  I  threw  myself 
down  and  began  to  drink.  I  had  to  lift  my  head  up  now 
and  then  to  get  breath,  and  then  I  went  on  drinking 
again.  It  tasted  just  like  fresh,  sweet  milk,  for  we  had 
not  had  any  water  for  a  whole  month.  Then  I  filled  the 
tin  and  carried  it  up  to  the  tent,  and  when  Dietrichson 
saw  it  he  lay  down  and  drank  till  he  could  not  hold  any 
more.  The  tin  was  a  \'ery  big  one,  but  there  was  only 
just  enough  left  for  the  pea-soup  afterward.  We  found 
plenty  of  water  every  day  after  this." 

I  am  sure  we  all  remember  September  21,  when  we 
first  found  \,ater.  I  really  think  it  was  one  of  the  best 
days  of  the  whole  expedition. 

Balto's  fragrant  soup  was  soon  served  out,  and  we  set 
to  work  upon  our  sujiper  with  more  than  usual  keenness, 
which  means  considerably  more  than  it  seems  to  say. 
Even  Ravna  could  eat  that  night.  He  used  to  declare  he 
never  could  make  a  good  meal  because  there  was  not 
enough  to  drink.  This  used  to  induce  him  to  save  up 
his  rations,  and  he  would  often  annoy  us,  and  make  our 
mouths  water   fruitlessly,  by  bringing   out   four  or    five 


THE   CROSSING    01'  TJIK   INLAW   ICE 


'35 


spare  biscuits  at  a  time  to  show  us.     The  truth  probably 
was  that  his  Httlc  body  did  not  need  as  niucii  food  as  our 


ariier  ones. 


After  supper  we  liad  lemon-grog,  which  consisted  of 
citric  acid,  oil  of  lemon,  sugar  and  hot  water,  a  compound 
which  to  our  tastes  was  nothing  short  of  nectar,  and 
which  we  sipped  and  enjoyed   to  the  utmost  as  we  lay  i 


n 


our  sleepmg-bags.  I'or  my  own  i)art  it  was  a  long  tmie 
since  I  had  been  so  tired.  The  laborious  wadiiiLT  in  the 
deep,  fresh  snow  had  tried  my  legs  severely,  and  I  do  not 
fancy  that  the  others  were  much  better.  Hut  an  evening 
like  this  in  the  tent  brings  a  feeling  of  comfort  and  grati- 
tude  upon  one,  and  a  xeil  of  forgetful n ess  is  gently  and 
soothingly  drawn  over  all  the  pains  and  tribulations  of  the 
day. 

A  candle-end  —  the  last  we  have  —  has  been  lii^hted 
ff)r  supper.  This  over,  and  all  our  ])reparations  for  the 
morrow  made,  we  ])ut  out  oijr  light,  bury  our  heads  well 
beneath  the  hoods  of  the  sleeping-bags,  and  pass  swiftly 
and  lightly  over  into  the  region  of  dreams. 


M 


in 


I   \ 


I 


ij! 


CMAPTHR   VIII 


llll'.    DKSCKNT    TO    AMKKAI.I  KFJOKD 

Hkfore  breakfast  on   September   22,   while   Balto  was 
making  the  tea,  Svenhnij)  and  I  climbed  the  ridge  of  ice 


'hich  lav  to  th( 


ith   of  the   tent  ft 


wnicn  lay  to  tne  soutn  ot  tne  tent  tor  a  reconnaissance. 
It  was  seamed  with  broad  crevasses  of  unfathomable 
depth,  most  of  them  running  parallel.  Once  I  fell  through 
a  siiow-brid'j^e,  but  the  fissure  was  so  narrow  that  I  could 
keep  my  hold  on  both  its  sides,  and  after  some  amount  of 
struggling  I  managed  to  extricate  myself.  I^^'om  the  top 
(m  the  rid<>e  we  had  a  fine  view  over  the  surrounding):  ice, 
and  could  see  that  our  best  course  would  j^robably  be  to 
keep  a  westerly  direction  for  the  present  and  turn  south- 
ward again  lower  down.  As  far  as  we  can  see,  in  front 
of  us  the  ice  seems  to  lie  in  fissured  ridges,  which  all  run 
westward  toward  Godthaabsfjord.  We  had  been  in  doubt 
as  to  what  valley  or  fjord  the  de})ression  right  before  us 
could  be,  but  we  could  now  see  that  it  must  be  Kan- 
gersunek.  AltoL^ether  we  were  able  to  make  out  our 
whereabouts  very  well,  and  it  was  cjuite  plain  that  we  had 
come  down  four  or  five  miles  farther  to  the  north  than  we 
had  meant. 

We  found  breakfast  ready  when  we  got  back  to  the 
tent,  and  afterward  it  was  settled  that  Sverdrup  and  I 
should  go  out  again  and  explore  the  ice  to  the  west,  keep- 
ing to  the  north  of  the  part  we  examined  the  previous 

1  From  Nansen's  Across  Greenland. 


THK  DKSCENT  TO  AM llhWI.I KFyOR D 


•37 


A\    AWKWARD    I'RKDKAMI'.NT 


even  in  f^;, 


The  others  meanwliile  must  follow  us  with  the 
four  sledges  as  far  as  they  could  in  the  same  direction, 
and,  if  they  could  get  so  far,  stop  at  the  last  ridge  we 
could  see  from  here.  As  they  had  a  fair  wind  behind 
them,  I  thought  they  would  be  able  to  manage  a  sledge 
each  without  much  difficulty. 

So  Sverdrup  and   I  started  off,  and  with  the  wind  be- 


J^ 


.  1 
I 


H 


m8 


ml\s/':a  jx  the  fnoaen  wori n 


\       '  i! 


ill 


hiiul  us  ran  fast  douii  on  our  slii)])(.'ry  oak  ski.  The 
ijjround  was  fairly  easy  till  we  came  far  enouj^h  to  sec 
down  into  the  fjord,  which  was  full  of  lloatini;  glacier-ice. 
Then  the  crevasses  bej^an,  hut  at  Hrst  they  ran  parallel, 
and  we  pushed  a  |L(ood  way  farther  on.  Hut  presently 
things  became  utterly  hopeless,  a  sim])le  network  of  inter- 
lacing fissures,  the  ice  i)r{)truding  in  small  scpiare  islands 
from  the  midst  of  the  blue  abysses.  l*!ven  th(;  fancy  could 
form  no  idea  of  the  depth  of  these  chasms,  and  the  sight 
of  the  riven  and  chaotic  mass  was  uneartldy  in  the  ex- 
treme. Not  a  stej)  farther  could  we  go;  there  was  nothing 
for  us  to  do  but  eat  our  dinner  and  i^o  back  to  look  for 
the  Others.  We  found  shelter  in  a  little  crevice,  where 
the  sun  did  its  best  to  comfort  us  and  temper  the  keen- 
ness of  the  bitinir  wind. 

On  the  way  back  I  had  the  ill-luck  t(<  fall  into  a  cre- 
vasse. I  was  left  hanging  by  my  arms,  and  the  j)()sition 
was  neither  easy  nor  pleasant.  The  fissure  was  narrow 
indeed,  but  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  a  footing  with  my 
ski  on  the  slijjpery  edges.  I  was  alone,  too,  as  Sverdrup 
had  taken  a  different  line,  and,  being  a  long  way  on 
in  front,  saw  nothing  of  my  disaster.  However,  after 
struijiiling  for  a  while,  I  at  last  manau^ed  to  scramble  out 
by  myself.  Strangely  enough,  none  of  us  ever  went  far- 
ther into  these  crevasses  than  to  the  annpits. 

We  liad  not  <j:one  far  before  we  cautiht  siiiht  of  the 
tent,  which  lay  a  little  way  to  the  north  of  us  and  on  the 
very  ridge  where  the  party  had  been  ordered  to  halt. 
They  had  reached  this  point  about  half  an  hour  before, 
and  the  coffee  was  already  under  way.  I  must  explain 
that  we  were  now  so  near  the  coast  that  the  coffee  pro- 
hibition  was    not    so    stringently    observed.     It   was   not 


J 


• 


HIE   DKSCEXT  TO  .l.\//:h'.t /./h'/'70h' /> 


'.^9 


.       The 

to  sec 
cier-ice. 
parallel, 
resell  tly 
)f  i liter- 
islands 
:y  could 
10  sight 
the  c.\- 
nothiiiLij 
ook  lor 
■,  where 
le  keeiv 

)  a  c re- 
position 
narrow 
,vith  my 
yerdrup 
vay  on 
r,  after 
ble  out 
nt  far- 

of  the 
on  the 
l()  halt, 
[before, 
bxplain 
^e  pro- 
las   not 


ON     IIIK    MuKNINi;   UV   SKl'lKMHER    2J  :    KDlClllSH    l(  K 

(|uite  ready,  and  a  si'  irt  rest  after  our  little  ski  excursion 
did  us  good.  After  we  had  finished  our  coffee  the  tent 
was  struck,  and  we  set  off  in  a  southerly  direction  in 
order  to  skirt  the  ice-stream  which  flowed  down  to  the 
fjord,  and  in  the  middle  of  which  we  had  just  been.  At 
first  the  ground  was  easy  and  we  made  good  progress, 
though  the  wind  did  its  best  to  hinder  us  by  blowing  the 
sledges  around.  In  the  evening,  when  it  was  already 
growing  dusk,  we  reached  a  ridge  of  nasty,  broken  ice, 
which  we  had  seen  in  the  distance  that  mornincf,  and  which 
there  seemed  to  be  no  way  of  avoiding.  It  was  necessary 
to  explore  the  ground  here  before  moving  any  farther, 
and  so  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  encani})  and 
wait  for  daylight.  While  supper  was  preparing  two  of  us 
went  out  again.  The  ice  was  undeniably  aw^kward,  but 
with   enterprise   we   could   no   doubt  get   through.     The 


140 


N.i.vs/-:x  /x  '/•///'.•  I'Ro/.r.x  won  in 


\. 


iM 


« 
if 


"I.  I 


I'lll 


(| 


ricliju  was  liu  Uily  ih)1  broad,  and  the  Ijcst  rtjiitc  \va:s  evi- 
dently the  strai;^lite.st  and  shortest. 

Next  nioniini;-,  September  23,  Svercbnip  wi-nt  out  ujjon 
anotlier  prospectiiiL;;  expe-dition,  .uid  came  back  with  com- 
|)aratively  reassurinjjj  intelhi^ence.  'Hie  ice  was  not  so 
Ixid  as  it  had  seemed  lo  be  at  Hist  si;^ht,  and  it  would  be 
|)ossible,  if  we  |)Ut  three  men  to  each  sledge,  to  j^et  them 
aloni;  witliout  carryiivjj  them. 

Then  we  broke  up  camp  and  set  out  upon   tlu'  heaviest 


k:  sr  AND  UKM.i'.cno.N   (.ii:n  i:.Mi;i  K  2j) 

{/>V  ///<■  Author^  from  a  /^liotoi;rafih') 


bit  of  ice-travelling;-  wliich  we  had  yet  had.  In  many 
places  we  had  to  carry  each  sledge  bodily  up  the  steep 
slopes  of  the  ridges  we  had  to  cross,  while  as  we  de- 
scended the  other  side  the  unfortunate  man  wno  went 
behind   had  to  hold   it  back  widi   all   his   micht.     If   he 


was  L'vi- 


Tirn  DESCF.NT  TO  AMh.NAI.lKryOR  P 


I  M 


.sli')|)(.'(l,  down  ux-nl  he  and  the  sIl'(1i;X'  on  to  ihc  hccU  ot 
thi.  others  in  troiil.  and  du-  whole  group  shd  on  together. 
Often,  however,  we  were  huky  enough  to  hit  upon  the 
course  of  a  fro/en  ii\er,  whieh  gave  us  an  easy  though 
soniewliat  winding    passage  among    the    hunmiocks    and 


ON    TlIK    AI  IKUNOON    OK    sK  1  Tr. M  I ; I : R 


:    INTO  IIETTKR    KK   ACAIN 


ridges  of  ice,  whicli  often  formed  cliffs  with  nearly  per- 
pendicular walls.  In  one  case  we  had  to  |)ass  through  a 
narrow  cleft  which  only  just  ga\'e  us  room,  and  at  the 
bottom  held  a  little  stream  only  partially  frozen,  the  water 
of  which  stood  well  above  our  ankles. 

In  the  afternoon  we  at  last  passed  out  of  the  worst 
of  the  ice,  and  could  again  take  the  sledges  singly.  'I"he 
surface  was  now  tolerably  good,  and  it  grew  still  better, 
but  the  wind  was  awkward,  as  it  was  always  blowing  the 
sledges  around.  A  good  way  farther  on  I  discovered  a 
moraine  running  across  the  ice  in  an   easterly  direction 


142 


N.  INS /'IN  /N  Till':   FRO/.  EN    IVOR  ID 


I    i 


i 


\ 


f\ 


.1 


i!ii 


from  the  land.  I  iniairinL'd  tliat  this  moraine  must  mark 
the  limit  between  the  streams  of  ice,  more  especially  be- 
cause it  lay  in  a  depression,  and  as  I  could  not  see  any 
trood  in  ''ettinLT  into  the  lull  current  of  another  ice-sti'can), 
I  determined  to  work  down  toward  land  on  the  north 
side  of  the  moraine.  We  now  halted,  and  the  tent  haviiiL;" 
been  pitched  and  Halto  sent  out  to  look  for  water  ior  the 
coffee,  Sverdrup  ami  I  set  off  downward  toward  the 
land  to  see  whether  the  ice  were  practicable  here.  We 
had  not  gone  far  before  we  saw  that  our  o])portunity  had 
come.  We  seemed  to  ha\e  crossed  to  the  south  side  of 
the  stream  of  ice  which  fell  into  (iodthaabsfjord,  for  the 
surface  seemed  to  fall  away  to  the  south,  or  more  cor- 
rectly toward  the  land  which  lay  straight  before  us.  We 
went  back  with  tlie  encouraging  news,  ami  the  whole 
party  drank  their  coffee  in  the  highest  si)irits.  The 
prospect  of  once  more  feeling  dry  land  beneath  our  feet 


w 


as  now  not  far  off,  and   this  was  enouLrh   to  fill 


us  wiin 


th 


dcli<i]it.  .As  soon  as  we  could  we  went  on  again,  and 
with  the  wind  behind  us  made  good  progress,  the  ice 
being  relatively  smooth  and  yet  often  falling  rapidly.     We 


were  chsapjDom 
that 


ted,  1 


lowever,  in  our  hope  of  reachm 


ur 


land 


evenmg,  as,  owmg 


to   t! 


th( 


le    uatnerniL!; 


dark 


ncss,   we 


presently  had  to  stojj.  But  on  the  whole  we  were  more 
than  satisfied  with  the  day's  work,  as  we  had  advanced  a 
good  deal  farther  than  we  had  had  an\'  reason  to  hoi)e  in 
the  morning. 

Next  day,  September  24,  we   turned   out  earlv  and  set 
off  with  the  determination  to  reach  land   that  dav.     This 


time,  too,  \\  1  were  n 


ot  d 


isapjjo 


in  ted.     We  pushed  on  fast. 


as  the    gradient  was   often   tolerably   steep   and    gave    us 
much   help.     The   wind   was  fair,  too,  the   ice  easy,  and 


I 


TlfE  DESCENT  TO  AMERALIKFjOKJ) 


«  J3 


everything  promising.  Some  way  down  a  reconnaissance 
proved  necessary,  as  the  ice  liere  got  rather  rougher.  I 
went  on  in  front  and  soon  found  myself  u|)()n  the  brow  of 
an  ice-sl()|)e  which  overlooked  a  beautiful  mountain  tarn, 
the  surface  of  which  was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice. 
iJeyond  was  a  gorge  through  which  a  river  from  the  tarn 


"UroN    THK    IJRUW    Uf   AN     ICK-SI.Ol'K    WIIH  II    (J\  KKI.ui  iK  KD    A    liKAUTIl' UI.    MOUN- 
TAIN   TARN  " 
[By  A .  !ihh/i,  from  a  /<ltoto);rnpl{) 

ran  d(jwnward,  while  to  the  right  the  great  glacier  sloped 
evenly  down  to  its  end  moraine,  and  would  have  formed 
the  most  mao^nificent  coasting-hill  imaoinable,  but  for  the 
stones  that  lay  scattered  over  its  surface.  Here  was  an 
easy  descent  for  us,  and  no  obstacles  to  separate  us  from 
our  goal.  I  soon  had  the  whole  j^arty  by  me,  and  we 
stood  enjoying  the  sight  of  the  land  below.     After  !  had 


,.l 


144 


NAASEN  IN  THE  FKO/.EN  WORLD 


ii 


i 

'I'ri 


w 


5 


\''y 


w 


I    ! 


taken  a  couple  of  jjliotot^raj^lis,  we  set  off  down  the  last 
ice-slope.  It  was  steep,  steeper  pemaps  than  any  we  had 
run  down  beft)re,  and  we  had  to  use  our  brakes  ;  but  the 
sledges  went  gayly,  and  soon  we  were  safe  and  well  upon 
the  frozen  tarn  below  the  glacier,  with  the  inland  ice 
forever  left  behind. 

We  now  jjushefl  across  the  tarn  toward  the  river  on 
the  other  side.  The  ice  was  not  everywhere  quite  safe, 
but  by  moving  carefully  we  reached  the  rocks  beyond 
without  mishap,  took  off  the  "cranipoons"  which  we  had 
been  using  the  last  few  days,  and,  like  schoolboys  released, 
ran  wildly  about  the  shore.  Words  cannot  describe  what 
it  was  for  us  only  to  have  the  earth  and  stones  again  be- 
neath our  feet,  or  the  thrill  that  went  through  us  as  we 
felt  the  elastic  heather  on  which  we  trod,  and  snielled 
the  fragrant  scent  of  grass  and  moss.  Behind  us  lay  the 
inland  ice,  its  cold,  gray  sloi)e  sinking  slowly  toward 
the  lake  ;  before  us  lay  the  genial  land.  y\way  down  the 
valley  we  could  see  headland  beyond  headland,  covering 
and  overlapping  each  other  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Here  lay  our  course,  the  way  down  to  the  fjord. 


I  ,i 


i! 


THE    HOAT   AND    ITS    lUTILDKR 


CHAPTER    IX 


ARRIVAL    AT   GODTHAAB 


1 


ovcrinti 


Next  morning,  September  29,  we  carried  the  boat  down 
to  the  water.  It  was  desperate  work  plodding  along  with 
it  through  this  sticky  sand,  in  which  our  feet  sank  deep, 
and  fixed  themselves,  and  wheezed  like  the  piston  of  an 
air-pump  as  we  pulled  them  out  again  at  each  step.  But 
at  last  we  reached  the  water's  edsre,  and  set  the  boat 
down,  to  gro  back  and  Qret  the  rest  of  our  things.  There 
were  any  number  of  gulls  down  here,  and  we  had  looked 
forward  to  the  prospect  of  a  supply  of  fresh  meat ;  but, 
unfortunately,  they  kept  at  a  respectful  distance,  and  we 
had  no  chance  of  a  shot.  When  we  got  back  to  our 
camping-place,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  we  had 
had  quite  enough  of  the  sands,  and  determined  to  carry 

1  From  Nansen's  Across  Greenland. 
10 


146 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN    WORLD 


\i 


1: 


' 


the  other  things  over  the  higher  ground,  rough  and  diffi- 
cult though  it  was. 

When  we  got  down  to  the  shore  again,  we  saw  that  the 
boat  was  now  afloat  a  long  way  out  in  the  water,  as,  while 
we  had  been  away,  the  fjord  had  risen  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  flood  all  the  outer  part  of  the  sands.  Luckily  Sverd- 
rup  had  been  thoughtful  enough  to  moor  her  fast  by 
driving  a  stake  into  the  ground,  though  we  had  left  her  so 
far  from  the  edge  of  the  water  that  we  thought  she  was 
quite  safe.  He  now  waded  out  to  her,  and  rowed  her  in 
to  a  point  of  land  close  by,  while  I  moved  the  baggage  to 
meet  him  at  the  same  spot.  Thus,  at  last,  after  a  day's 
labor,  we  had  overcome  one  more  obstacle,  and  were  ready 
to  embark  on  a  good  sea-way. 

After  we  had  had  our  dinner  we  set  out  upon  our  first 
voyage,  our  destination  being  the  farther  side  of  the  fjord, 
along  which  we  meant  to  coast  on  our  way  outward.  We 
discovered  at  once  that  our  boat  travelled  much  better 
than  we  had  expected.  She  did  not  prove  to  be  a  fast 
craft,  certainly,  but  we  could  get  along  in  her,  and  reached 
the  other  side  of  the  fjord  after  what  we  considered  to  be 
a  remarkably  quick  passage.  Nor  was  water-tightness  one 
of  our  boat's  virtues,  for  we  had  to  take  to  baling  with  one 
of  the  soup-bowls  about  every  ten  minutes. 

Just  here,  the  head  of  the  fjord  formed  a  little  bay  or 
inlet,  which  seemed  to  us,  in  our  present  state  of  mind,  an 
unusually  attractive  spot.  It  ended  in  a  peaceful,  gentle 
valley  —  a  valley  of  long,  brown  slopes  and  stretches  of 
moss  and  stones,  and  skirted  by  low,  round  hills  ;  just  the 
ground  that  is  most  welcome  to  the  reindeer  and  his  pur- 
suer. Our  interests  still  centred  in  all  that  we  could  con- 
nect with  food  and  the  pursuit  of  game,  and  the  more 


.    i 


nd  diffi- 

that  the 
Ls,  while 
i  extent 
Y  Sverd- 

fast  by 
t  her  so 
she  was 
i  her  in 
;j^cige  to 

a  day's 
*e  ready 

3ur  first 

le  fjord, 

d.     We 

[  better 

a  fast 

eached 

d  to  be 

}ss  one 

th  one 

bay  or 
nd,  an 
gentle 
Kes  of 
ist  the 
|s  pur- 
con- 
more 


148 


NANS/uV  IN  THE  FKOZEX   WOKJ.D 


n 


.'■111 


poetic  reader  must  forgive  us.  To  us,  at  this  time,  tliis 
was  the  most  beautiful  side  of  Nature  ;  and  for  her  true 
beauty  —  the  lofty  |)eaks,  the  snow-clad  mountains,  the 
precipitous  cliffs,  and  all  the  glories  of  barrenness,  glories 
of  which  Ameralikfjord  has  enough  and  to  spare  —  we 
had  no  eyes  of  a])])reciation.  Sucii  delights  are  for  that 
true  l()\er  of  Nature,  the  tourist,  as  he  wanders  among 
them  on  his  comfortable  steamer,  with  abundance  of  warm 
clothinL!"  and  good  food. 

Then  we  worked  along  the  stupendous  cliffs  which 
form  the  northern  shore  of  Amcragdla,  as  the  inmost 
branch  of  Ameralikfjord  is  called,  and  stopped  for  the 
night  at  a  spot  where  we  could  land  our  boat  and  find  flat 
ground  enough  to  sleep  upon  —  accommodation  not  to  be 
procured  everywhere.  We  had  not  advanced  much  that 
day,  but  we  were  quite  satisfied,  and  very  pleased  to  be  on 
the  sea  once  more.  Our  chief  delight,  however,  was  the 
prospect  of  eating  our  fill  of  good  fresh  meat  after  nearly 
seven  weeks  of  the  driest  of  food.  During  our  row  I  had 
shot  six  big  blue  gulls.  At  first  I  missed  several  times, 
as  the  birds  kept  out  of  range,  but  at  last  one  ventured 
nearer,  and  then  I  had  no  further  trouble.  Gulls,  as  most 
people  know,  are  inquisitive  birds  ;  so  when  I  had  thrown 
one  dead  body  out  to  float,  the  others  must  needs  come 
to  look  at  it,  and  I  brought  down  one  after  the  other,  and 
stocked  our  larder  for  the  time. 

These  gulls  are  big  birds,  and  we  determined  to  have 
two  apiece  for  our  evening  meal.  They  were  skinned, 
put  two  at  a  time  into  boiling  water,  and  cooked  as  little 
as  possible.  Sverdrup  was  afterward  asked  whether  he 
took  care  to  clean  them  properly.  "  Oh,  I  don't  know," 
he  answered  ;  "  I  saw  Nansen  pull  something  out  of  them, 


ARRllAL    AT  GODTJIAAH 


149 


'\\\Ci  I  suppose  it  was  ])ait  of  the  inside  ;  and  sonic  more 
came  out  in  the  jjot  while  they  were  cooking.  i\\\  1  can 
say   is,  1    never  tasted    better  birds   in   my  Hfe."     And   he 


SHOOTINC    Ori.I.S    FROM     TlIK    liOA  1 
\By  A.  Block,  after  f>hotogriit>h  and  sketch) 


was  quite  right :  we  both  thouglit  we  had  never  had  any- 
thing which  could  be  compared  with  those  gulls ;  the  ten- 
derest  of  chickens  could  not  have  been  better.  Whether 
the  cause  lay  in  our  appetites,  or  the  peculiar  methc>d  of 
preparation,  I  will  not  attempt  to  decide.  We  looked  for 
no  reason  at  the  time,  but  tore  our  birds  in  pieces  as  fast 
as  teeth  and  fingers  would  allow.     It  was  not  long  before 


,;* 


'5" 


AAA'SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


IHil 


It  ii 


.    \ 


!)    I 


I  I 

I 


11 

ll 

*  Jii' 

■i! 
1' 

■ill 


the  first  two  had  disapjicarcd,  and  then  we  set  to  work 
upon  the  second  with  greater  deliberation  and  more  pro- 
longed enjoyment.  We  finished  with  the  broth  in  which 
they  had  all  been  boiled.  This  had  a  very  characteristic, 
gamey  taste,  which  added  much  to  its  peculiarity,  though 
we  were  not  quite  certain  to  what  we  should  attribute  its 


origm. 


Language,  in  fact,  has  no  words  which  can  adequately 
describe  the  satisfaction  of  the  two  savages  who  sat  that 
evening  on  the  northern  shore  of  Ameragdla,  and  dipped 
each  his  hands  into  the  pot,  fished  out  the  body  of  a  gull, 
and  conveyed  it,  piece  by  piece,  head,  feet,  and  all,  into 
the  depths  of  his  hungry  stomach.  The  light  of  the  fire 
meanwhile  was  almost  dimmed  by  the  brighter  glory  of 
the  northern  liiihts.  The  whole  heaven  blazed,  both  north 
and  south  ;  the  lights  swept  onward,  and  then  returned 
again  ;  and  suddenly  a  whirlwind  seemed  to  pass  across 
the  sky,  driving  the  flames  before  it,  and  gathering  them 
together  at  the  zenith,  where  there  was  a  sparkling  and 
a  crackling  as  of  burning  fire,  which  almost  dazzled  the 
eyes  of  the  onlooker.  Then  the  storm  seemed  to  cease, 
the  light  died  slowly  away,  there  was  nothing  left  but  a 
few  hazy  flecks,  which  sailed  across  the  starlit  sky  as  we 
stood  there  still  gazing.  Such  a  display  of  northern  lights 
I  have  never  seen,  either  before  or  since.  And  there,  be- 
low us,  lay  the  fjord,  cold  and  impassive,  dark  and  deep, 
and  girt  round  about  by  steep  walls  of  rock  and  towering 
mountains,  the  familiar  fjord  landscape  of  the  west  of 
Norway. 

Next  day  things  did  not  go  quite  so  well  with  us,  as  in 
the  course  of  the  morning  a  head-wind  sprang  up,  which 
blew  so  hard  that,  instead  of  making  progress,  we  were 


I 


wmm 


(./ 


ARRIl'AL  AT  GODTHAAB 


151 


almost  driven  backward,  and  our  little  cockle-shell  danced 
up  and  down  upon  the  waves  to  such  an  extent  that  there 
seemed  every  chance  of  our  capsizing.  She  proved  a 
good  sea-boat,  however,  and  never  shii)i)ed  a  drop  of  water, 
except  that  which  ran  in  unceasing  streams  through  her 
bottom.  Against  the  breeze,  though,  she  travelled  very 
heavily,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  land,  rest 
meanwhile,  and  hope  that  the  wind  would  drop  toward 
evening.  This  it  eventually  did,  and  we  embarked  again. 
It  was  not  long  before  we  reached  Nua,  as  the  point  is 
called  which  lies  at  the  mouth  of  Itivdlek  Fjord,  the  north- 
ern branch  of  Ameralik.  Here  the  country  was  less  wild 
and  broken,  and,  with  its  low  ridges  covered  with  moss 
and  heather,  promised  excellent  reindeer-ground. 

It  was  a  fine,  still  evening,  and  we  now  set  about  to  cross 
the  fjord.  This  was  the  longest  sea-passage  we  had  as  yet 
attempted ;  but  all  went  well,  and  we  were  soon  across  to 
the  opposite  shore.  It  was  dark  by  this  time,  and  we  put 
to  land  to  get  some  supper.  Here,  however,  we  found  nei- 
ther fuel  nor  water,  and  had  to  eat  our  food  cold  and  with- 
out drink,  a  state  of  things  to  which  we  were,  nevertheless, 
well  used.  We  had  thought  of  pushing  on  farther  during 
the  niijht,  but  we  now  saw  some  ominous  storm-clouds 
coming  up  from  the  west,  and  gathering  about  the  sharp, 
wild  peaks  on  the  north  side  of  the  fjord.  The  night,  too, 
was  so  dark  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  cross  the 
fjord  again,  as  we  wished  ;  and  so  we  determined  to  bring 
the  boat  ashore,  and  get  a  little  sleep,  in  the  hope  that 
the  moon  might  come  to  our  help  later.  During  the  oper- 
ation of  beaching  the  boat,  Sverdrup  was  unlucky  enough 
to  fall  into  the  w^ater,  which  is  not  very  pleasant  just  be- 
fore bedtime,  and  when  one  has  so  little  in  the  way  of  a 
change  of  clothes. 


I>l'. 


'52 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


II  i' 


!f 


There  was  no  imj)rovL'mcnt  in  the  weather,  and  we  slejot 
till  the  morning  of  October  i.  It  was  a  sijlciulicl  sunny 
clay,  and  there  was  a  gentle  wind  blowing  to  help  us. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  we  crossed  the  fjord  again, 
and  went  ashore  to  get  ready  a  substantial  dinner  of  two 
gulls  apiece  and  a  sou|)  of  iinsur|)asscd  excellence.  To 
the  broth  in  which  the  birds  had  been  cooked  we  added 
peas  and  bread,  and  the  comjjound  was  so  invigorating 
that  we  literally  felt  the  strength  grow  in  us  as  we  took 
down  (/ue  basin  after  another. 

Unluckily,  at  this  spot  where  we  had  landed  there  was  a 
great  abundance  of  crowberries,  and  as  a  matter  of  course 
we  added  them  to  our  bill  of  fare.  It  was  long  since  we 
had  had  access  to  fresh,  wholesome,  \egetable  food,  and 
we  actually  indulged  ourselves  beyond  the  bounds  of  rea- 
son. First  we  ate  the  berries  standing ;  and  then,  when 
we  could  stand  no  longer,  we  ate  them  sitting;  and  when 
this  posture  became  at  last  too  wearisome,  we  lay  prone  at 
our  ease,  and  jDrolonged  the  debauch  to  incredible  lengths. 
When  we  landed  there  had  been  no  wind,  but  now  a  stiff 
northerly  breeze  sprang  up,  which  blew  up  the  fjord,  and 
made  any  attempt  at  further  progress  on  our  part  quite  out 
of  the  question.  All  we  could  do,  therefore,  was  to  lie 
here,  and  go  on  with  our  crowberries.  At  last  we  grew  so 
torpid  that  we  had  not  the  energy  to  pick  the  berries  any 
longer  with  our  hands,  and  so  we  turned  on  our  faces,  and 
went  on  gathering  them  with  our  lips  till  we  fell  asleep. 
We  slept  till  evening,  and  when  we  woke,  there  hung  the 
great  black,  luscious  berries  still  before  our  very  lips,  and 
on  we  went  eating  them  till  we  dozed  off  again.  If  what 
people  say  is  true,  that  gluttony  is  one  of  the  deadly  sins, 
then  may  Heaven's  mercy  save  us  from  the  dire  punish- 


i 


-..^ 


AKRIIAL   AT  (JODTJIAAJi 


'S3 


ment  that  must  await  us  for  what  wc  did  that  day  in  Anic- 
ralikfjord.  It  lias  always  been  a  cause  for  wonder  to  nie 
that  we  did  not  pay  the  penalty  then  and  there ;  but,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  suffered  no  ill-effects  from  our  excesses. 
At  midni<j;ht  the  wind  dropj)ed,  and  I  turned  the  crew 
out.     In  spite  of  the  crowberries,  Sverdrup  had  had  suffi- 


1!Y    AMKKALIKKJOKl)   <)N    TIIK    MOkNI.NO   UK    1)CH)I1ER    I 
{From  a  fhotograpli) 


any 
and 

leep. 

%  the 
and 

what 


cient  energy  in  the  course  of  the  evening  to  collect  some 
wood  and  fetch  water  in  the  event  of  our  needing  a  meal 
in  the  night.  We  now,  therefore,  fortified  ourselves  for 
work,  and  by  one  o'clock  we  were  afloat,  ready  to  push  on 
with  re^'ewed  energy.  We  made  our  way  quickly  along 
the  shore  in  intense  darkness.  The  phosphorescence  of 
the  water  was  almost  as  brilliant  as  anything  that  tropical 
seas  can  show.  The  blades  of  our  oars  gleamed  like 
molten  silver,  and  as  they  stirred  the  surface  the  effect  was 


«54 


NANHJiN  IN  THE    J'KO/.KN    WORLD 


■■    ■ 

It 

1 

; 

1 
il 

r 

seen  ill  the  flittering  r.icliaiice  that  stretched  far  below. 
The  whole  scene  was  very  i;ran(l  as  we  passed  along  under 
the  beetling  cliffs,  where  we  could  see  scarcely  anything 
but  the  flashes  of  ijhosphorescence  which  flitted  upon  the 
water  round  about  us,  and  danced  and  played  far  away  in 
the  eddies  of  our  wake. 

We  seemed  to  have  luck  with  us  just  now  —  a  state  of 
things  to  which  we  were  not  much  accustomed.  The 
weather  was  fine,  and  there  was  no  wind ;  so,  to  make  the 
best  use  of  our  opportunities,  and  keep  the  steam  up,  we 
had  recourse  to  frequent  stimulants  in  the  way  of  meat- 
chocolate.  Rations  were  served  out  often  and  liberally, 
and  with  apparent  effect,  for  we  made  rapid  progress. 

At  dawn,  while  we  were  resting  at  a  certain  spot,  we 
heard  numbers  of  ptarmigan  calling  in  the  scrub  close  by 
us.  It  would  have  been  easy  to  bag  some,  and  I  was 
tempted  to  try ;  but  we  thought  we  had  no  time  to  waste 
on  land  for  such  a  purpose,  so  we  showed  an  heroic  deter- 
mination by  rowing  away  from  the  enticing  spot. 

We  rowed  on  all  the  morniiig  without  stopping,  except 
for  chocolate.  Along  the  whole  stretch  of  shore  the  rocks 
fell  so  abruptly  into  the  water  that  there  were  but  two  or 
three  places  where  a  landing  was  possible.  About  noon, 
to  our  great  astonishment,  we  found  ourselves  approach- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  fjord.  Here  we  came  upon  a  point 
with  a  nice  flat  stretch  of  beach,  and  pulled  in  to  land. 
The  spot  seemed  a  favorite  camping-place,  for  there  were 
several  rings  of  stones  marking  the  sites  of  Eskimo  tents, 
and  masses  of  seals'  bones  and  similar  refuse  strewn  about 
the  place. 

The  consciousness  of  having  got  so  far  made  us  unus- 
ually reckless.     We  felt  that  we  should  soon  be  in  Godt- 


MMM 


// 


iMj 


ARRIl'AL   AT  GODTIfAAn 


155 


haab  now,  and  in  honor  of  the  occasion  vvc  contrived 
a  dinner  which,  in  magnificence,  sinpassed  even  that  of 
the  day  before.  We  liad  now  no  need  for  parsimony  or 
self-restraint,  and  no  meal  throughout  the  course  of  the 
ex|)e(liti()n  came  up  to  this  in  extravagance.  We  began 
with  sea-urchins,  or  sea-eggs,  which  I  colh'cted  in  num- 
bers on  the  beach  close  by.  The  ovaries  of  these  arc 
esj^ecially  good,  and  little  inferior  to  oysters,  and  of  this 
delicacy  we  consumed  huge  cpiantities.  We  then  went 
on  to  gulls  and  guillemots,  which  were  followed  by  the 
usual  excellent  soup.  Biscuit  and  butter  we  had  in 
abundance,  and  there  were  plenty  of  crowberries  for  him 
that  had  recovered  from  the  surfeit  of  the  preceding  day. 
It  was,  indeed,  a  dinner  worthy  of  the  name,  as  Sverdrup 
said.  It  was  no  easy  matter  for  us  to  convey  ourselves 
into  the  boat  again,  and  bend  over  the  oars  to  do  our 
jiroper  work.  If  at  any  time  afterward  I  wished  to  bring 
Sverdrup  into  a  thoroughly  good  humor,  I  had  only  to 
call  to  mind  our  notable  dinner  at  the  great  camping-j^lace 
in  Amcralikfjord. 

r'ortune  was  strangely  kind  to  us  that  day:  we  now 
had  a  fair  wind  behind  us,  and,  in  spite  of  our  torpor  and 
laziness,  we  made  raj^id  j)rogress  during  the  afternoon. 
Everything  was  rosy  to  us  nGW\  and  we  pulled  away  in 
sheer  fulness  of  heart.  There  was  one  thorn  in  the  side 
of  our  happiness,  nevertheless.  This  came  from  the 
absurdly  thin  little  rails  on  which  we  had  to  sit  instead  of 
thwarts.  I  suffered  so  much  that  I  felt  I  could  well  do 
without  a  certain  part  of  the  body  altogether.  We 
shifted,  and  shifted  again,  but  with  little  relief  to  our  sore- 
ness and  discomfort.  The  happiness  of  this  world  is, 
indeed,  seldom  pure  and  unalloyed. 


II 


1*1 


I 


% 


156 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   IVOA'Ll) 


%■ 


<   ,1 


Thus  wc  passed  out  of  tlic  fjord,  and  saw  tlic  sea, 
islands,  and  scattered  rocks  spread  out  before  us,  and 
lighted  by  the  most  glorious  of  sunsets.  The  whole  ex- 
panse seemed  to  be  suspended  in  an  atmosphere  of 
gently  glowing  light.  The  vision  stopped  us,  barbarians 
as  we  were,  and  de}Drived  us  of  speech  and  power  of  ac- 
tion. A  feeling  of  home  and  familiar  scenes  came  over 
us  ;  for  just  so  lie  the  weather-beaten  islands  of  the  Nor- 
wegian coast,  caressed  b}'  flying  spray  and  summer  haze, 
the  outskirts  of  the  fjords  and  valleys  that  lie  behind. 
It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  our  forefathers  were 
drawn  to  this  land  of  Greenland. 

We  had  set  ourselves  the  task  of  passing  the  mouth  of 
Kobbefjord,  an  inlet  which  lies  just  to  the  south  of  Godt- 
haab,  that  evening,  so  that,  in  the  event  of  bad  weather 
next  day,  we  could,  nevertheless,  easily  reach  our  destina- 
tion overland.  We  now  came  to  a  little  fjord  which  is 
not  marked  suf^ciently  clearly  on  the  map  we  had,  and 
which  we  therefore  wrongl)-  assumed  to  be  Kobbefjord, 
though  I  thought  at  the  time  that  it  la)'  suspiciously  near 
to  the  mouth  of  Ameralik. 

Consequently,  we  thought  vve  might  as  v/ell  land  there 
and  then,  as  we  sat  simply  in  torture,  and  our  legs  were 
stiff  with  the  pain  and  discomfort  of  the  position.  But 
then  it  struck  us  that  we  had  better  keep  on  till  we  could 
see  the  lights  of  Godthaab,  for,  in  our  innocence,  we  sup- 
posed them  to  be  visible  from  the  south.  We  saw,  how- 
ever, nothing  at  all,  and,  as  the  current  now  ran  hard 
against  us,  we  were  at  last  obliged  to  desist  and  go 
ashore.  This  was  at  a  point  which  lies  at  the  foot  of  a 
high  mountain,  which  we  afterward  found  to  be  Hjorte- 
takken.     It  was  riow  about    nine  o'clock,  and,  with    the 


( 


ARRIVAL    AT  GODTffAAB 


157 


exception  of  short  intervals  for  breakfast  and  dinner,  we 
had  been  fixed  to  those  seats  of  affliction  for  a  good 
twenty  hours.  It  was  indeed  a  welcome  change  to  have 
a  broad  surface  to  stretch  ourselves  upon. 

Phenomenal  as  our  dinner  had  been,  the  supper  which 
now  followed  was  not  much  less  so.  I'or  the  first  time 
since  we  left  the  yason  we  could  go-  to  work  upon  bread, 
butter,  and  liver  "  jiate"  without  restraint  and  stingy  weigh- 
inir  out  of  rations.  We  drank  lemonade  to  our  heart's 
desire,  and  did  our  very  best  to  prevent  any  of  that  prov- 
ender which  we  had  been  economizing  so  long  from 
remaining  over,  to  be  carried  to  people  among  whom  it 
would  have  no  value.  This  thought  it  was  that  harassed 
US,  and  urged  us  to  further  effort;  but  in  the  end  we 
were  obliged  to  desist,  with  our  task  as  yet  undone. 

This  was  the  last  of  these  wonderful  niijhts  which  we 
had  a  chance  of  enjoying  before  our  reentrancc  into  civili- 
zation. We  felt  that  it  was  our  farewell  to  Nature  and  to 
the  life  which  had  now  grown  so  familiar  and  so  dear  to 
us.  The  southern  sky  was  as  usual  radiant  with  the 
northern  lights,  streamer  after  streamer  shooting  up  to  the 
zenith,  each  more  brilliant  than  the  last ;  while  the  .stars 
glittered  in  their  usual  impassive  way,  their  brightness 
more  or  less  eclipsed  as  the  rival  lights  waxed  or  waned  in 
intensity. 

We  were  both  of  us  in  a  strange  mood  :  our  wander- 
ings  were  all  but  ended ;  we  had  met  with  many  mishaps 
and  many  unforeseen  obstacles,  but  \\t  had  succeeded  in 
spite  of  all.  We  had  passed  through  the  drifting  ice,  and 
pushed  our  way  up  along  the  coast ;  we  had  crossed  over 
the  snow-fields  of  the  continent,  and  made  our  way  out 
of  the  fjord   in  our  miserable  little  boat,  in  defiance  of 


^    1 1 

m 


iS8 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


Ill  I 


adverse  winds ;  we  had  worked  hard,  and  undeniably  gone 
through  a  deal  of  tribulation  to  reach  the  goal  which  now 
lay  so  near  to  us.  And  what  were  our  feelings  now? 
Were  they  feelings  of  triumph  or  exultation  ?  For  my 
own  part,  1  must  confess  that  mine  were  not  of  this  lofty 
order;  to  no  other  feeling  could  I  attain  than  a  sense  of 
gross  repletion.  It  was  a  feeling  grateful  enough  to  me ; 
but  as  for  our  goal,  we  had  been  kept  waiting  too  long  — 
there  was  too  little  surprise  about  its  eventual  attainment 
for  us  to  give  much  thought  to  it. 

We  curled  ourselves  up  in  our  fur  pelisses,  chose  each 
a  stretch  of  heather  among  the  rocks,  and  slept  our  last 
night  under  the  open  sky  as  well  as  we  had  seldom  slept 
before. 

It  was  late  before  we  woke  next  morning,  October  3, 
and  when  we  at  last  shook  off  our  sleep,  the  wind  had 
long  been  blowing  freshly  up  the  channel  leading  to  Godt- 
haab,  and  calling  us  to  work.  But  we  felt  that  for  once 
we  need  not  hurry  —  we  could  sleep  to  the  end,  and  yet 
reach  our  destination  in  good  time. 

We  bec^^n  breakfast  aijain  with  the  worthiest  intentions 
of  consuming  to  the  last  morsel  the  provisions  which 
remained ;  but  though  we  attacked  them  manfully,  we 
had  to  put  to  sea  once  more  with  this  end  still  unattained. 
With  the  wind  behind  us  we  made  rapid  progress  north- 
ward, and  when  we  passed  the  sj^it  of  land  on  which  we 
had  camped  for  the  night,  we  foimd  that  we  had  been  all 
the  time  on  the  south  side  of  Kobbefjord.  This  fjord 
now  lay  before  us  set  in  a  circle  of  wild,  lofty  mountains, 
among  which  Hjortetakken  was  most  conspicuous,  with 
its  sides  sprinkled  with  fresh  snow,  and  its  peak  from  time 
to  time  wrapped  in  light,  drifting  mist. 


!    t 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB 


159 


We  now  set  about  to  cross  the  fjord  to  the  south  side 
of  the  promontory  on  wliich  (iodtliaab  itself  lies.  As  we 
reached  the  middle  we  heard,  for  the  first  time  for  many 
weeks,  the  sound  of  unfamiliar  voices.  They  were  evi- 
dently Eskimo  women  and  children  from  whom  the 
sounds  came.  They  were  screaming  and  shouting;  but, 
though  we  listened,  we  could  make  out  nothing,  and 
though  we  looked,  there  was  no  one  to  be  seen.  Some 
time  afterward  we  learned  that  these  voices  must  have 
come  from  a  party  of  folk  who  had  gone  over  to  "  Store 
Malene,"  a  mountain  lying  to  the  east  of  Godthaab,  to 
gather  berries.  They  had  caught  sight  of  us,  and  were 
shouting  to  one  another  that  they  could  see  tv/o  men  in 
half  a  boat,  and  were  much  exercised  to  know  what  new 
sorcery  this  could  be.  Such  a  vessel  they  had  never  seen 
before,  and  they  did  not  at  all  like  the  look  of  it. 

This  Eskimo  description  of  our  little  craft  as  half  a 
boat  was  really  very  hapj)y,  as  it  did  much  resemble  the 
forepart  of  an  ordinary  boat.  Some  way  farther  on  we 
saw  in  the  distance  the  figure  of  a  man  sitting,  as  it  were, 
in  the  water.  This  was  the  first  "  kaiaker "  we  came 
across  on  the  west  coast.  Presently  we  caught  sight  of 
two  more;  they  were  out  after  seal,  and  took  no  notice 
of  us.  This  was  either  because  they  preferred  their  own 
business,  or  because  they  thought  there  was  something 
wrong  about  us.  There  is  no  doubt  that  they  saw  us 
long  before  we  saw  them,  for  the  Eskimo  has  the  keenest 
of  eyes,  and  never  fails  to  use  them. 

As  we  rounded  the  next  point,  Sverdrup,  who  was  row- 
ing bow,  caught  sight  of  some  houses  which  he  thought 
must  be  Godthaab.  I  turned  my  head  in  astonishment, 
and  saw  some  Eskimo  huts,  but  could  not  think  them  to 


iw* 


'.'  'i 


160 


NAASEA  JN  THE   J'KOZEN  WORLD 


;t  1 


i 

h 


I'.' 


'1 


be  Godthaab,  as,  according  to  the  maj),  the  settlement  did 
not  lie  just  there.  Sverdrup  then  said  :  "  But  those  big 
houses  can't  belong  to  these  wretched  Kskimos."  I  then 
turned  quite  round,  and  could  now  see  the  slated  roof  of 
a  long  building,  surmounted  by  a  little  <^CA\er,  and  was 
c|uite  ready  to  agrc'  that  this  could  not  be  an  Eskimo 
abode,  though  it  struck  me  that  it  might  very  well  be  a 
warehouse.  But  as  we  passed  another  j^oint,  we  found 
we  had  before  us  no  warehouse,  but  a  church  and  a  num- 
ber of  Eskimo  huts  lying  by  a  little  bay.  We  did  not 
think  it  was  any  use  landing  here,  and  were  for  keeping 
straight  on  ;  but  suddenly  a  fresh  breeze  sprang  up,  and 
made  it  very  heavy  work  to  row,  and  we  concluded  that 
it  would  be  better  to  go  ashore  at  once,  and  proceed  to 
Godthaab  overland. 

So  we  turned  our  little  tub  shoreward,  and  found  that 
a  number  of  Eskimos,  chiefly  old  women,  were  already 
swarming  out  of  the  houses,  and  coming  down  to  the 
beach  to  receive  us.  Here  they  gathered,  chattering,  and 
bustling  to  and  fro,  and  gesticulating  in  the  same  strange 
way  as  we  had  seen  their  fellows  of  the  east  coast  often 
do.  We  could  see  little  or  no  difference  between  the  two 
branches  of  this  people  we  had  mec ;  here  there  was  just 
the  same  outward  aspect  —  the  same  ugliness,  and  the 
same  beaminor  friendliness  and  good  humor. 

When  we  landed  they  thronged  around  us,  and  helped 
us  disembark  our  jjoods,  and  bring  the  boat  ashore,  all  the 
while  jabbering  unceasingly,  and  laughing,  in  wonder  and 
amusement,  at  us  two  poor  strangers.  While  we  were 
standing  there,  mounting  guard  over  our  gun  and  the 
more  valuable  of  our  possessions,  and  ignoring  the  crowd 
of  people  around  us,  whom,  of  course,  we  could  not  under- 


I        - 

Ji! 
II 

1 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB 


i6i 


stand  one  whit,  Sverdrup  said :  "  Here  comes  a  Euro- 
pean ! "  I  looked  up,  and  saw  a  young  man  advancing 
toward  us.  He  was  clad  in  an  attempt  at  a  Greenland- 
er's  dress,  but  had  a  Tam-o'-Shanter  cap  upon  his  head, 
and  a  fair,  good-looking  face,  which  was  as  little  like  an 
Eskimo's  as  could  well  be.  There  could  be  no  mistake 
about  him ;  he  and  his  whole  demeanor  were,  so  to  say,  a 
direct  importation  from  "  the  King's  Copenhagen,"  as  it  is 
called  here.  He  came  up  to  us,  we  exchanged  salutations ; 
then  he  asked,  "  Do  you  speak  English  ?  "  The  accent 
was  distinctly  Danish,  and  the  question  somewhat  discom- 
fited me,  as  I  thought  it  a  little  absurd  for  us  to  set  to 
work  at  English  instead  of  our  own  mother-tonirue.  But 
before  I  could  answer,  he  luckily  inquired :  "  Are  you 
Englishmen  ? " 

To  this  I  could  safely  answer,  in  good  Norse :  "  No ;  we 
are  Norwegians."  "  May  I  ask  your  name  ? "  "  My  name 
is  Nansen,  and  we  have  just  come  from  the  interior." 
"  Oh,  allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  taking  your  Doc- 
tor's degree."  This  came  like  a  thunderbolt  from  a  blue 
sky,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  myself  from  laughing 
outright.  To  put  it  very  mildly,  it  struck  me  as  comical 
that  I  should  cross  Greenland  to  receive  congratulations 
upon  my  Doctor's  degree,  which  I  happened  to  have  taken 
just  before  I  left  home.  Nothing,  of  course,  could  have 
been  more  remote  from  my  thoughts  at  the  moment. 

The  stranger's  name  was  Baumann.  He  was  a  good- 
natured,  sociable  native  of  Copenhagen,  who  was  now  in 
the  Greenland  Service,  and  acting  as  assistant,  or,  as  they 
call  it,  "Volontor,"  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  colony  of 
Godthaab.  We  subsequently  had  a  good  deal  of  his  soci- 
ety. The  Superintendent,  he  told  us,  was  just  now  away 
11 


l62 


NAN  SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


I  i 


J  t 


i 


from  home,  and  in  the  name  of  his  superior  lie  offered  us 
a  hearty  welcome  to  the  colony.  Godthaab  itself  was  close 
by,  and  it  was  quite  by  chance  that  he  had  just  walked  out 
to  Ny  Herrnhut,  the  spot  where  we  landed,  to  see  the  mis- 
sionary. This  is  one  of  the  few  stations  established  by 
the  German  Moravian  Mission  in  Greenland. 

The  first  question  I  asked,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  an 
opportunity,  was  about  communication  with  Denmark,  and 
whether  the  last  ship  had  sailed.  From  Godthaab  I 
learned  that  the  last  ship  had  gone  two  months  or  more 
ago,  and  there  was  none  now  that  we  could  catch.  The 
only  possible  chance  was  the  Fox,  at  Ivigtut,  but  she  was 
to  leave  in  the  middle  of  October,  and  the  place  was  300 
miles  away. 

These  tidings  were  anything  but  welcome.  It  had  been 
the  thought  of  catching  a  ship  to  Europe  which  had 
spurred  us  on  during  our  crossing  of  the  ice ;  the  vision 
of  a  ship  had  haunted  us  unceasingly,  and  never  allowed 
us  the  enjoyment  of  rest  or  ease.  We  had  consoled  our- 
selves with  the  thought  that  we  could  make  up  for  lost 
time  on  board,  during  our  voyage  home ;  and  now,  when 
the  time  came,  we  found  that  our  ship  had  sailed  before 
ever  we  started  upon  our  journey  across  the  continent.  It 
was  a  magnificent  structure  of  hopes  and  longings  that 
now  sank  into  the  sea  before  our  eyes.  As  far  as  I  was 
concerned  personally,  this  was  not  of  much  account,  for, 
on  the  contrary,  I  w-as  quite  ready  to  spend  a  winter  in 
Greenland  ;  but  for  the  other  poor  fellows  it  was  another 
matter.  They  had  friends  and  relatives  —  one  of  them 
wife  and  children  —  away  at  home,  whom  they  longed  to 
see,  and  they  had  often  talked  of  the  joys  of  their  return. 
And  now  they  would  have  to  wait  through  the  long  win- 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTHAAB 


163 


tei*  here,  while  their  people  at  home  would  think  them 
long  since  dead.  This  must  never  be;  a  messai^e  must 
be  sent  off  at  once  to  the  Fox,  our  last  hope  of  relief. 
While  we  were  talking  the  matter  over,  we  were  joined 
by  another  European  —  the  Moravian  missionary,  ilerr 
Voged.  Me  greeted  us  very  kindly,  gave  us  a  hearty 
welcome,  and  would  not  hear  of  our  going  by  his  door 
unentertained. 

He  lived  in  the  buildin<j:  with  the  tt)\ver  which  had  first 
cauijht  our  attention,  and  which  served  both  as  church 
and  as  a  residence  for  him.  W'e  were  received  here,  by 
the  missionary  and  his  wife,  with  unaffected  heartiness,  and 
it  was  with  a  strange  liiixture  of  feelings  that  we  set  foot 
once  more  in  a  civilized  dwelling,  after  four  months  of 
wild  life  on  shipboard,  in  our  tent,  and  in  the  open  air. 
The  room  we  were  taken  into  will  always  remain  vividly 
impressed  upon  my  memory.  Its  dimensions  were  not 
grand,  and  its  features  were  uniformity  and  simplicity; 
but  for  us,  who  were  used  to  a  cramped  tent,  and  the  still 
greater  simplicity  of  the  open  air,  the  appointments  of  this 
house  were  nothing  less  than  luxury  itself.  The  mere  sit- 
ting upon  a  chair  was  a  thing  to  be  remembered,  and  the 
cigars  to  which  we  were  tieated  were  a  source  of  uncon- 
cealed satisfaction.  Then  the  cup  of  welcome  was  handed 
round,  while  coffee  and  food  were  being  prepared  for  us. 
It  was  a  queer  change  to  be  sitting  at  a  table  again,  and 
before  a  white  cloth,  and  to  be  using  knife  and  fork  upon 
earthenware  plates.  I  will  not  say,  unreservedly,  that  the 
change  was  altogether  for  the  better,  for  we  had  been 
thoroughly  comfortable  when  sitting  by  the  camp-fire,  and 
tearing  our  gulls  to  pieces  with  our  teeth  and  fingers,  with- 
out forks,  plates,  and  formalities. 


It     '    ' 


164 


NANSEN  IN  7  HE  EROZEH  WORLD 


* 


C; 


While  the  meal  was  in  progress,  the  pastor  of  God- 
thaab,  Herr  Balle,  arrived ;  soon  after  him  came  the 
doctor  of  the  place,  whose  name  was  Binzer.  The  news 
of  our  coming  had  already  reached  the  colony,  and  they 
had  hurried  out  at  once  to  bid  us  welcome.  We  were 
now  beset  with  questions  as  to  our  journey:  as  to  why 
we  had  changed  our  route,  how  we  had  got  out  of  the 
fjord,  where  we  had  left  the  others,  and  so  on  ;  all  our 
accounts  being  followed  with  the  most  lively  interest. 
Then  the  j)arty  broke  up,  and  we  took  our  leave  of  our 
kind  host  and  hostess. 

When  we  got  out  of  doors,  we  found,  to  our  surprise, 
that  it  was  raining.  Our  luck  was'  true  to  us  this  time, 
and  we  had  reached  the  habitations  of  men  none  too  soon, 
for  the  rain  would  have  been  very  unpleasant  to  us  in  our 
little  boat. 

We  were  assured  that  our  boat  and  thinii^s  should  be 
taken  care  of  and  sent  on,  and  then  we  started  off  to  walk 
in  the  rain  over  the  hills  to  Godthaab. 

After  a  time  our  way  brought  us  out  upon  a  project- 
ing point  of  rock,  and  we  saw  the  colony  lying  below  us. 
There  were  not  a  great  number  of  buildings  —  four  or 
five  European  houses,  a  church  perched  upon  an  emi- 
nence, and  a  good  many  Eskimo  huts.  The  whole  group 
lay  in  a  small  hollow  between  two  hills,  and  by  a  pleasant 
little  bay.  The  Danish  flag  was  flying  on  its  high  mast, 
which  stood  on  a  mound  down  by  the  water.  Crowds  of 
people  were  swarming  about.  They  had  all  come  out  to 
see  the  mysterious  strangers  from  the  interior  who  had 
arrived  in  half  a  boat. 

Then  we  made  our  way  down ;  but  we  had  hardly 
reached  the  houses  before  a  gunshot  rang  out  over  the 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB 


•65 


water,  and  was  followed  by  one  after  anotlicr,  in  all  a 
complete  salute.  We  had  partf^d  from  civilization  amid 
the  thunder  of  cannon,  and  with  this  same  thunder  we 
were  received  into  the  civilized  worla  again,  for  to  such 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland  must  certainly  be  reckoned. 
It  might  have  been  supposed  that  we  were  individuals  of 
the  most  warlike  tendencies.     How  many  shots  they  fired 


be 


HOLETTE.      GREENLAND    WOMAN    OF    MIXED    RACE 

in  our  honor  I  cannot  say,  but  the  salute  was  well  sus- 
tained. The  little  natives  had  all  their  work  to  do  around 
the  guns  under  the  flagstaff,  as  we  were  passing  among 
the  houses  and  between  long  rows  of  Greenlanders  of 
both  sexes,  who  crowded  around  and  line.d.  the  way.    They 


mm 


1 66 


NANSE.V  IN  THE  FROZEN  WOK  ID 


!l 


I 


—  and  especially  the  women  —  were  a  strikini;;  sight  in 
their  picturesque  attire.  Smiles,  good  nature,  and  here 
and  there,  perhaps,  a  little  unaffected  wonder,  beamed 
from  all  the  faces  about  us,  and  added  a  new  sunshine  to 
the  surroundings. 

Then  our  eyes  fell  upon  a  more  familiar  sight — the 
figures  of  the  four  Danish  ladies  of  the  colony,  who  were 
coming  to  meet  us,  and  to  whom  we  were  duly  presented. 
At  the  same  time,  it  struck  us  somewhat  curiously  to  see 
European  petticoats  again  among  all  the  skin  jackets  and 
trousers  of  the  fair  Eskimos. 

As  we  reached  the  Superintendent's  house,  the  salute 
was  brought  to  an  end,  and  the  native  gunners,  under  the 
lead  of  one  Fredcriksen,  gave  us  a  ringing  cheer.  The 
Superintendent's  wife  now  welcomed  us,  on  her  own  part 
and  that  of  her  husband.  Here,  again,  we  were  tem- 
porarily entertained,  and  also  invited  to  dine  with  the 
doctor  at  four  o'clock. 

We  had  still  a  long  time  to  get  through  before  then, 
however,  though  we  had  plenty  to  do  in  the  way  of  VAash- 
ing  and  decorating  ourselves.  We  were  shown  up  into 
our  new  friend  Baumann's  room,  the  aspect  of  which, 
again,  was  suf^ciently  unfamiliar  to  us  to  make  a  very 
vivid  impression  upon  our  minds.  Here  a  musical-box 
played  to  us  "  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  an  air  which 
will  hereafter  never  fade  from  my  memory ;  and  here  we 
w-ere,  for  the  first  time,  horrified  by  the  sight  in  a  glass 
of  our  sunburnt  and  weather-beaten  faces.  After  our 
long  neglect  in  the  way  of  washing  and  dressing,  we 
seemed  to  ourselves  little  fit  for  presentation  in  society, 
and,  both  in  our  faces  and  clothes,  a  considerable  number 
of  the  hues  of  the  rainbow  were  intrusively  conspicuous. 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTIIAAB 


167 


It  was  an  indescribable  delij^ht  to  pliinj^e  the  head  into 
a  basin  of  water  once  more,  and  to  go  througli  the  cere- 
mony of  an  honest  Saturday  night's  wash.  Cleanness 
was  not,  however,  to  be  obtained  at  the  first  attempt. 
Then  we  attired  ourselves  in  the  clean  linen,  so  to  say, 
which  we  had  brought  all  the  way  across  Greenland  for 
the  purpose ;  and,  thus  reconstituted,  we  felt  ourselves 
(|uite  ready  for  the  good  things  of  the  doctor's  well- 
provided  dinner-table. 

Hy  all  the  Danish  inhabitants  of  Godthaab  we  were 
entertained  with  unjirecedented  hos|)itality,  and  the  lux- 
ury displayed  on  all  sides  was  quite  astt)nishing.  We 
had  ex|jected  to  find  that  the  P2uropeans  exiled  to  this 
corner  of  the  world  would  be  so  influenced  by  the  na- 
ture of  their  surroundings,  and  the  jjrimitive  section  of 
humanity  amid  which  they  dwelt,  that  they  would  have 
inevitably  forgotten  a  certain  amount  of  their  native 
etiquette.  And  therefore  our  surprise  was  great  when  we 
saw  the  ladies  appear  at  social  gatherings  in  the  longest 
of  trains  and  gloves,  and  the  men  in  black  coats  and 
shirt-fronts  of  irreproachable  stiffness,  and  even  on 
occasions  going  to  the  extremity  of  the  conventional 
swallow-tail.  Surrounded,  as  we  were,  by  the  natives  in 
their  natural  and  picturesque  attire,  and  thoroughly 
unaccustomed  as  we  had  grown  to  all  these  things,  to  us 
the  absurdity  of  European  taste  in  such  matters  seemed 
altogether  incongruous. 

We  two  were  now  safe  in  port,  and  the  next  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  send  relief  to  our  comrades  in  Amera'ik- 
fjord  with  the  least  possible  delay.  They  had  no  means 
of  knowing  whether  we  had  reached  our  destination,  or 
had  gone  to   the  bottom  of  the  fjord,  and   left   them  to 


n 


168 


NANHEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


!  i 
!i 

1 


.    .i 


starve  to  death  out  there.  And  after  this  was  done,  we 
must  despatch  a  message  to  the  Fox. 

In  tlie  course  of  the  afternoon  we  tried,  therefore,  to 
arrange  matters,  but  without  success.  No  sooner  had  we 
arrived  than  a  storm  from  tiie  south  liad  sprung  up,  and 
the  weather  was  so  bad  that  the  Eskimos,  who  are  had 
sailors  in  anything  but  their  "  kaiaks,"  voukl  not  venture 
upon  the  voyage  into  Amerahkfjord.  The  letter  to  the 
Fox  was  to  be  sent  by  one  or  two  "  kaiakers,"  but  we 
could  find  no  one  in  the  colony  who  would  undertake 
to  start  in  this  weather,  and  we  were  therefore  obliged  to 
wait  till  next  day. 

When  night  came,  and  lodging  had  to  be  found  for 
us,  Sverdrup  was  quartered  upon  the  before-mentioned 
Frederiksen,  the  carpenter  and  boat-builder  of  the  place, 
while  Herr  Baumann's  room  was  put  at  my  disposal.  It 
was  strange,  too,  to  find  myself  in  a  real  bed  again  after 
six  months'  absence.  There  can  be  few  \vho  have  en- 
joyed a  bed  as  completely  as  I  did  this  one.  Every  limb 
thrilled  with  delight  as  I  stretched  myself  on  the  soft 
mattress.  The  sleep  which  followed  was  not  so  sound  as 
I  could  have  expected.  I  had  grown  so  used  to  the  bag 
of  skin,  with  the  ice  or  rock  beneath  it,  that  I  felt  my 
present  couch  too  soft,  and  I  am  not  sure  that,  after 
a  while,  I  did  not  feel  a  faint  longing  for  the  old  order  of 
things. 

On  the  morning  of  October  4  I  was  roused  from  my 
unquiet  dreams  by  the  gaze  of  the  Eskimo  maid-servant 
who  had  come  with  the  morning  supply  of  tea  and  sand- 
wiches. After  this  early  meal  I  got  up,  and  went  out  to 
look  around  the  place. 

Down  by  the  beach  there  was  just  now  a  deal  of  life 


ARRtVAI.  AT  aODTHAAP 


169 


and  movement,  for  a  boat's  load  of  seals,  which  had  been 
caught  not  far  off,  had  just  come  in,  and  the  so-called 
"  flensing,"  or  process  of  cutting  the  blubber  out,  was  now 
in  progress.  I  went  down  with  Baumann  to  study  this 
new  phase  of  life.  The  Kskimo  women,  with  their 
sleeves  rolled  uj),  knelt  in  numbers  around  the  gashed 
and  mangled  seals.  From  some  the  blood  was  taken,  and 
collected  in  pails,  to  be  afterward  used  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  black  puddings,  or  analogous  delicacies;  from 
others  the  intestines  were  being  drawn,  or  the  blubber  or 
flesh  being  cut.  All  parts  were  carefully  set  aside  for 
future  use. 

After  having  seen  enough  of  the  sanguinary  spectacle, 
and  duly  admired  the  dexterity  and  grace  displayed  by 
the  Kskimo  women,  as  well  as  the  good  looks  of  some 
among  them,  we  went  across  to  see  Sverdrup,  and,  if  he 
were  ujd,  to  ask  him  to  come  and  have  breakfast  at  the 
Superintendent's  house. 

When  we  entered,  however,  we  found  him  already  at 
table  with  his  host,  Herr  Frederiksen,  and  engaged  upon 
a  breakfast  of  roast  ptarmigan  and  other  delicacies.  I 
expressed  my  regret  that  this  was  the  case,  as  I  had 
hoped  that  we  should  breakfast  together.  But  Sverdrup 
could  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  do  so  still.  He 
was  now  occupied  with  his  first  breakfast,  certainly,  but 
so  good  a  thing  would  easily  bear  repetition,  and  he 
expressed  himself  ready  at  once  to  begin  again.  So  he 
actually  did  ;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  made  at  this 
time  a  regular  practice  of  eating  his  meals  twice  over. 
Vox  three  days  he  stood  the  strain  ;  but  after  this  he  suc- 
cumbed, and  had  to  keep  his  bed  for  some  hours  in  con- 
sequence.    It  was  a  long  time,  indeed,  before  any  of  us 


trw 


iiiii 

[  III  I 


170 


NANZEN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


J  i 
I 


returned  to  decent  ways  again,  and  were  content  to  take 
our  food  like  civilized  beings. 

In  the  course  of  the  morninfc  a  man  was  found  who 
was  considered  equal  to  the  task  of  carrying  our  de- 
spatches southward,  and  was  at  the  same  time  willing  to 
undertake  the  journey.  The  man's  name  was  David,  and 
he  was  a  resident  of  Ny  Herrnhut.  He  was  to  go  to 
Fiskerna^s,  a  small  settlement  some  ninety  miles  to  the 
south,  and  there  to  send  the  letters  on  by  other  "  kai- 
akers."  An  errand  of  this  kind  is  usually  undertaken  by 
two  men  in  company,  as  risks  of  a  fatality  are  thus  much 
lessened.  But  as  the  same  David  was  not  afraid  of  the 
undertaking,  and  had  expressed  his  readiness  to  start  the 
same  afternoon,  I,  of  course,  had  no  objection  to  make. 
!  promised  him,  as  well  as  the  others  to  whom  he  was 
to  hand  the  despatches,  extra  pay  in  case  they  caught 
the  Fox. 

I  then  wrote  a  hurried  letter  to  Herr  Smith,  the  man- 
ager of  the  cryolite  quarry  at  Ivigtut.  The  Fox  being 
the  property  of  the  company  who  own  this  quarry,  it  lay 
really  wich  the  local  manager  to  decide  what  course  the 
vessel  siiould  take ;  bui  I  also  wrote  to  the  captain  of  the 
ship.  In  both  these  letters  I  asked  that  the  vessel  should 
be  allowed  to  come  up  to  Godthaab  to  fetch  us,  if  possi- 
ble. I  did  not  propose  that  she  should  \vait  at  Ivigtut  till 
we  could  join  her  there,  because,  in  the  present  uncertain 
state  of  the  u^eather,  it  was  quite  impossible  to  calculate 
how  long  it  would  take  us  to  get  the  rest  of  the  party 
from  Ameralikfjord,  and  cover  the  necessary  300  miles  in 
open  boats.  As  far  as  we  could  judge,  we  could  not 
reckon  upon  reaching  Ivigtut  by  the  middle  of  the 
month  —  the  date  at  which  the  ship  was  expected  to  sail 


I: 


'i\ 


ke 


ARRIVAL   AT  GODTH.IAB 


ly 


—  and  we  could  not  ask  her  to  wait  an  indefinite  time  for 
us  down  there.  On  the  other  hand,  it  seemed  to  me  that, 
if  she  thought  of  doing  anything  on  our  behalf,  it  would 
be  to  come  and  fetch  us.  By  these  means  she  could  save 
time,  and  it  would  be  possible  to  reckon,  with  a  fair 
amount  of  accuracy,  how  many  days  the  voyage  to  Godt- 
haab  and  back  would  take  her. 

Furthermore,  in  case  mv  messemrers  should  catch  the 
Fox,  but  siie  cou'd  not  see  her  way  to  fetching  us,  I 
hastily  wrote  a  few  lines  to  Herr  Game!,  of  Copenhagen. 

This  letter,  and  one  from  Sverdrup  to  his  father, 
brought  to  Europe  the  first  news  of  our  having  reached 
the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  and  contained  all  that  was 
known  of  our  journey  for  six  months.  In  one  respect 
they  hold,  perhaps,  a  somewhat  unusual  position,  for  their 
postage  came  to  no  less  than  eighty-five  dollars. 

Our  me.ssenger  promised  me  that  he  would  start  that 
very  afternoon.  He  did  make  the  attempt,  but,  as  far  as 
I  could  learn,  was  driven  back  by  stress  of  weather. 

As  things  were  just  as  bad  in  this  respect  when  even- 
ing came,  and  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  no  boat 
would  be  able  to  make  the  voyage  into  Ameralikfjord 
next  day  either,  the  pastor  proposed  that  a  couple  of 
men  should  be  despatched  in  "  kaiaks "  to  take  to  our 
companions  the  news  of  our  safe  arrival,  together  with 
a  temporary  supply  of  provisions,  with  which  they  could 
console  themselves  until  the  boats  could  be  sent  to  fetch 
them  away.  This  proposal  I  accepted,  of  course,  most 
gratefully ;  and  while  the  pastor  went  to  secure  his 
"kaiakers,"  two  plucky  brothers,  named  Terkel  and 
Hoseas,  who  belonged  to  Sardlok,  but  happened  at  this 
moment  to  be  at  Godthaab.  the  ladies  of  the  colony  set 


i^: 


■i' 
i 


172 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


i   ' 


I     I 


I 


busily  to  work  to  collect  a  supply  of  the  most  unheard-of 
delicacies.  These  were  stowed  away  in  the  two  canoes, 
while  I  supplemented  them  with  some  simpler  articles  of 
food,  such  as  butter,  bacon,  and  bread,  and  last,  but  not 
least,  some  pipes  and  tobacco.  Among  the  latter  was  a 
big  Danish  porcelain  pipe  with  a  long  ster  id  a  pound 
of  tobacco,  for  Balto's  private  delectatic  ■  a  present 
which  I  had  promised  him  up  on  the  inland  ice  on 
some  occasion  when  he  had  surpassed  himself  in  handi- 
ness.  As  soon  as  the  "  kaiaks "  were  ready  packed,  I 
gave  Terkel,  the  elder  of  the  two  brothers,  through  the 
medium  of  the  pastor,  an  exact  description  of  the  spot 
where  the  others  were  to  be  found,  and  pointed  it  out  to 
him  on  the  map,  which  'le  understood  well. 

Next  morning,  therefore,  October  5,  three  Eskimos  left 
Godthaab  —  two  bound  for  Ameralikfjord,  and  the  third 
for  Fiskernaes.  The  first  two,  who  were  excellent  hands 
at  their  work,  made  good  use  of  their  time,  and  found  our 
companions  on  the  morning  of  the  following  day.  But 
the  latter,  who  was  an  inferior  "  kaiaker,"  had  to  turn 
back,  and  was  a  long  time  before  he  finally  got  off.  As 
far  as  I  could  make  out,  he  was  seen  hanging  about  Ny 
Herrnhut,  which  was  his  home,  some  days  later. 

This  same  morning,  too,  a  boat  for  Ameralikfjord  made 
an  attempt  to  start,  but  only  to  come  back  a  couple  of 
hours  afterward.  As  I  have  already  said,  these  Green- 
landers  are  no  great  performc's  with  the  oar.  In  the 
afternoon  they  had  another  try,  and  this  time,  strange  to 
say,  we  saw  no  more  of  them ;  but,  as  we  subsequently 
learned,  they  got  no  farther  than  to  an  island  a  little  way 
to  the  south,  where  they  disembarked,  and  passed  the 
next  few  days  in  a  tent  instead  of  returning,  though  they 


ARRIVAL  AT  GODTHAAB 


173 


were  no  more  than  an  hour's  row  distant  all  the  while. 
There  was  a  very  good  reason  for  this  odd  conduct,  as  it 
appeared,  for  had  they  come  back  they  would  have  lost 
all  the  pay  which  they  now  managed  to  put  to  their 
credit;  and,  besides,  they  would  have  had  nothing  like  so 
good  a  time  at  hjme  as  in  their  tent  on  the  island,  and 
therefore  they  felt  no  call  to  move  till  they  had  consumed 
their  whole  supply  of  provisions. 

Next  day  the  Superintendent  of  the  colony,  Herr 
Bistrup,  returned,  together  with  Herr  Heincke,  the 
German  missionary  from  Umanak,  a  Moravian  station  up 
the  fjord,  some  forty  miles  from  Godthaab.  The  Superin- 
tendent had  been  in  Umanak,  when  a  "  kaiaker,"  who 
had  been  sent  off  from  the  colony,  brought  him  the  news 
of  our  arrival.  He  and  the  missionary  had  thereupon  at 
once  despatched  a  couple  of  men  in  canoes  into  Amera- 
likfjord.  They  also  carried  a  supply  of  provisions  sent 
by  the  missionary  and  his  wife,  and  were  told  to  remain 
with  our  party,  and  help  them  in  every  possibU^  way. 

On  October  7,  Terkel  and  Hoseas  canic  back  from 
Ameralikfiord  with  a  letter  from  Dietrichson,  tellino:  1 1 
that  they  now  felt  quite  comfortable  in  there,  as  they  had 
an  abundance  of  provisions,  and  now  knew  of  our  safe 
arrival  at  Godthaab. 

Two  days  later,  or  on  October  9,  the  weather  was  suffi- 
ciently favorable  to  allow  of  my  sending  off  an  ordinary 
Eskimo  boat,  which  I  had  borrowed  of  Herr  Voged,  the 
German  missionarv  whom  we  had  first  met.  The  crew 
consisted  as  usual  chiefly  of  women.  The  same  day,  too, 
the  first  boat,  commonly  known  as  "  the  whaler,"  finally 
left  the  island  on  which  its  crew  had  hitherto  been  pic- 
nicking. 


f 


174 


NANSEN  IN  THE   EROZEN  WORLD 


% 


rj 


Several  days  now  passed,  and  as  we  had  heard  nothing 
of  our  companions,  we  began  to  expect  their  arrival  every 
moment.  The  Greenlanders  in  particular  were  extremely 
anxious  to  see  them. 

Like  all  Eskimos,  they  have  the  liveliest  imaginations, 
of  the  fruits  of  which  we  had  some  noteworthy  examples. 
The  very  day  after  our  arrival  the  strangest  rumors  were 
flying  about  among  the  natives  of  the  colony  as  to  our 
experiences  upon  the  inland  ice.  We  were  said  to  have 
taken  our  meals  in  the  company  of  the  strange  inhabi- 
tants of  the  interior,  who  are  double  the  size  of  ordinary 
men.  We  had  also  come  across  the  tiny  race  of  dwarfs 
who  inhabit  the  rocks  in  the  recesses  of  the  fjords.  Of 
the  feet  of  these  little  people  we  had  seen  numerous  traces 
in  the  sand,  and  we  even  had  two  specimens  of  the  race 
in  our  company. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  reported  that  two  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  had  died  on  the  way ;  but  of  this 
sad  occurrence  we,  as  was  quite  natural,  had  no  desire  to 
speak. 

At  first,  indeed,  we  were  regarded  as  possessing  certain 
almost  supernatural  attributes,  and  it  was  feared  that  we 
had  achieved  the  heroic  feat  of  crossing  the  dreaded 
inland  ice  by  the  aid  of  means  not  strictly  orthodox.  And, 
therefore,  as  soon  as  Sverdrup  or  I  showed  ourselves  in 
public,  the  natives  assembled  in  great  numbers  to  gaze 
at  us.  I,  especially,  on  account  of  my  size,  was  a  favorite 
object  of  their  regard.  We  received  appropriate  names 
at  once  :  Sverdrup  was  called  "  Akortok  "  —  that  is  to  say, 
"  he  who  steers  a  ship  ;  "  while  I  was  honored  with  two 
appellations  —  "  Angisorsuak,"  or  "  the  very  big  one,"  and 
"  Umitormiut  nalagak,"  which  means  "  the  leader  of   the 


ARRIVAL   A7'  GODTHAAB 


I7S 


men  with  the  great  beards,"  under  whicli  description  the 
Norwegians  are  generally  known. 

It  had  also  come  to  the  knowledge  of  these  good  people 
that  we  had  two  Lapps  in  our  company  —  members  of  a 
race  which  they  had  never  seen.  The  two  "  kaiakers  " 
\\\\o  had  come  back  from  Ameralikfjord  had  minutely  de- 
scribed their  meetin*:  with  the  strangers.  "  There  were 
two  men,"  they  said,  "  of  the  people  who  commonly  wear 
great  beards,  and  two  who  were  like  us,  but  were  clad  in  a 
wonderful  dress."  They  were  thus  quite  acute  enough  to 
see  that  the  Lapps,  in  spite  of  all  distinctions,  belongi^d 
to  a  race  somewhat  on  a  level  with  themselves,  and  were 
widely  different  from  all  Danes  and  Norwegians. 

At  last,  early  on  the  morning  of  October  12,  the  two 
Eskimos  who  had  been  sent  into  the  fjord  from  Umanak 
arrived  with  a  note  from  Dietrichson,  saying  that  the 
whole  party  were  now  on  the  way. 

The  entire  colony,  Europeans  as  well  as  natives,  now 
turned  out,  and  awaited  their  arrival  in  u^reat  excitement. 
At  last  we  could  see,  by  a  movement  among  the  "  kai- 
aks,"  which  lay  below  us,  that  the  boats  must  be  in  sight. 
Presently,  too,  "  the  whaler  "  appeared  from  behind  a  pro- 
jecting point.  The  "  kaiaks  "  simply  swarmed  around  her, 
and  we  soon  caught  sight  of  our  four  companions,  seated 
in  the  stern,  in  front  of  the  steersman,  and  already  waving 
their  caps  in  the  air  by  way  of  salutation.  It  was  a  little 
strange  to  me  to  see  them  sitting  there  as  passengers, 
instead  of  working  at  the  oars. 

The  boat  came  slowlv  on,  with  a  lontr  strinsf  of  "  kai- 
aks  "  tailing  out  behind,  and  soon  put  in  to  shore  under 
the  fiacrstaff  mound,  where  the  four  stranjje  beinsfs  from 
the  interior  landed,  and  were   heartily  welcomed  by  the 


fF 

ll 

1 

Mi 


176 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Europeans  of  the  colony,  as  well  as  by  crowds  of  Eskimos, 
to  whom,  of  course,  they  were  a  source  of  renewed 
wonder  and  admiration.  The  Lapps  came  in  for  marked 
attention.  The  Greenlanders  set  them  down  as  women, 
because  they  v,ore  long  tunics  something  like  the  cloaks 
of  European  ladies,  as  well  as  trousers  of  reindeer  skin, 
which  particular  garments  are  only  used  by  the  women 
of  the  Eskimos.  Balto  seemed  to  take  the  attention  which 
fell  to  his  share  with  the  greatest  complacency  and  non- 
chalance. He  talked  away,  related  his  experiences,  and 
was  soon  on  an  intimate  footing  with  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  place.  Ravna,  as  usual,  went  his  own  silent  way ; 
he  came  up  to  me,  ducked  his  head,  gave  me  his  hand, 
and,  though  he  said  very  little,  I  could  see  his  small  eyes 
twinkle  with  joy  and  self-satisfaction. 

They  were  all  glad  enough  to  have  reached  their  desti- 
nation, and  the  announcement  that  there  was  a  very  doubt- 
ful prospect  of  their  getting  home  this  year  did  not  seem 
to  have  much  effect  upon  their  good  spirits. 


As  stated  before  in  this  work  (see  page  74),  N  insen  and 
his  companions  had  to  spend  the  winter  at  Godthaab. 
On  April  15  the  ship  Hvidbjorncn  arrived,  and  soon  after 
the  home  journey  began;  on  May  21  Copenhagen  was 
reached,  and  on  May  30  they  entered  Christiania  Fjord, 
where  they  were  received  by  hundreds  of  sailing  boats 
and  a  whole  fleet  of  steamers. 


CHAPTER   X 


WITH    THE    CURRP:NT 


In  the  beginning  of  1S90,  Nansen  delivered  a  lecture 
before  the  Norwegian  Geograi)hical  Society,  and  set  forth 
his  plan  for  a  new  Polar  Expedition.  "  I  believe,"  he  said, 
after  giving  a  short  sketch  of  the  history  of  ]X)lar  investi- 
gation, "  that  if  we  study  the  forces  of  nature  itself  which 
are  here  ready  to  hand,  and  try  to  work  with  them  instead 
of  against  them,  we  shall  find  the  surest  and  easiest  way 
of  reaching  the  Pole.  It  is  useless  to  work  against  the 
current,  as  previous  expeditions  have  done  ;  we  must  see 
if  there  is  not  a  current  that  will  work  with  us.  There 
are  strong  reasons  for  supposing  that  such  a  current 
exists." 

Nansen's  plan  was  founded  upon  the  assumption  that 
from  Bering  Strait  and  the  north  coast  of  p:astern  Siberia 
a  constant  and  comparatively  strong  sea-current  sets  in 
the  direction  of  the  North  Pole,  whence,  again,  it  turns  to 
the  south  or  southwest,  between  Spitzbergen  and  Green- 
land, follows  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  then  sweeps 
around  Cape  Farewell  into  Davis  Strait. 

Three  years  after  the  sinking  of  the  Jcannctlc.  north  of 
the  New  Siberia  Islands  in  June,  18S1,  a  number  of  arti- 
cles were  found  on  the  drift  ice  ofi"  tlie  southwest  coast 
of  Greenland,  which  must  undoubtedly  have  belonged  to 
the  lost  ship  —  among  them,  for  example,  a  provision  list 
with  the  signature  of  the  captain,  De  Long,  a  list  of  the 


12 


178 


A'ANSJuV  IjV  J'llE   FROZEN  WORLD 


I    \ 


i'l^ 


r    ■ 


ycannctlcs  boats,  and  a  pair  of  oil-skin  trousers  marked 
with  the  name  of  one  of  the  sailors  who  were  reseued. 
The  news  of  this  th'scovery  upon  the  (h'iftinL;  ice  (loe 
attracted  much  attention,  and  it  was  conjectured,  with  a 
|iK'uisiljihty  a|3proachin_L;  to  certaint)-,  that  the  floe  must 
have  been  carried  by  the  abo\e-menti()n(,'d  current  from 
the  New  Siberia  Islands,  across  or  near  the  I'ole,  to  the 
place  where  it  was  found.  It  was  calculated  that  the 
articles  must  have  been  conveyed  at  a  si)eed  of  about  (wo 
miles  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  which  corresponded  with 
the  rate  .it  which  the  ycaintctic  was  borne  along  in  the  ice 
during"  the  last  four  months  of  her  existence. 

These  relics  of  the  ycaiiiutti  are  not,  however,  tin- 
only  objects  which  ha\e  made  the  lout;  journey  with  the 
current  from  luist  Siberia  across  the  Pole,  and  have  been 
swept  southward  alont;-  the  east  coast  of  (ireenland.  A 
so-called  "  throwing  stick,"  used  by  the  P'skimos  for  hurl- 
ing their  bird-darts,  was  found  by  a  (ireenlander,  and 
given  to  Dr.  Rink  at  (iodthaab,  who  afterwards  jjresented 
it  to  the  Christiania  Universitv.  It  has  been  shown  that 
this  instrument  is  cjuite  different  in  form  from  that  used 
by  the  Greenlanders,  but  exactly  resembles  the  throwing- 
sticks  used  by  the  Eskimos  of  Alaska,  the  northwestern 
extremity  of  North  America,  which  borders  on  Bering 
Strait ;  so  that  it  too,  in  all  j^robability,  had  trax'crsed  the 
Polar  Sea. 

The  drift  wood  which  is  washed  ashore  in  Greenland 
in  such  large  quantities,  and  is  so  indispensable  to  the 
Eskimos  in  the  absence  of  timber  trees,  has  been  shown 
to  consist  for  the  most  part  of  timber  native  to  Siberia, 
so  that  it  too  must  have  Decii  carried  by  the  same  current 
across  the  very  precincts  of  the  Pole. 


WITH    11/ E    CLKRENT 


'79 


NANSEN    IN     1893 


In  the  course  of  his  wanderinfjs  alone:  the  shores  of 
Denmark  Strait,  Nansen  found  on  the  fh'ift  ice  large 
quantities  of  mud.  Of  this  he  collected  a  number  of 
specimens,  which  were  examined  by  Professor  P.  Cleve, 
of  Upsala,  and  A.  E.  Tornebohm,  of  Stockholm,  and 
proved  to  consist  of  varieties  of  soil  characteristic  of  Si- 
beria. Thus  the  probability  is  that  this  mud,  too,  had 
made  the  long  ]Dolar  voyage. 

These  facts  of  themselves  suflficiently  prove  that  there 


i8o 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


l!' 


*■■ 


w 


\: 


must  be  a  practicable  connection  between  the  sea  to  tlic 
north  of  Asia  and  the  sea  on  the  cast  of  Greenland  — 
not,  i)erhaj)s,  an  open  water-way,  which  one  could  scarcely 
expect  to  find,  but  a  practicable  route  in  the  sense  that 
the  current  carries  the  ice  floes  (now  frozen  together,  now 
}jiled  one  on  the  top  of  the  other,  and  then  again  broken 
up  and  scattered),  across  the  distance  indicated,  with  con- 
siderable regularity  and  in  an  ascertainable  sjia*  e  of  time. 
From  these  premises,  then,  Nansen  drew  what  we  may 
fairly  call  the  inevitable  conclusion  that  if  an  ice  floe  with 
uhat  happen.;  to  be  upon  it  can  tluis  make  its  way  across 
the  polar  area  in  a  given  time,  it  must  be  no  less  possible 
for  a  ship,  fixed  among  the  ice  ^oes  in  the  course  of  the 
current,  to  complete  the  same  passage  in  the  same  time. 

His  plan  was  to  make  his  way,  with  a  small  but  strongly 
built  vessel,  to  the  New  Siberia  Islands,  and  there  or 
thereabouts  await  the  most  o]Dj5ortune  moment  for  mak 
ing  the  furthest  possible  advance  in  ice-free  w^ater.  He 
thought  it  probable  that  he  could  get  well  past  the  Islands. 
"  When  once  we  have  come  so  far,  we  shall  be  right  in 
the  current  in  which  the  ycaiiueUe  was  caught.  Then 
the  thing  will  be  to  j^ress  on  northward  with  all  our 
mifrht  until  we  stick  fast.  W^e  must  now  choose  a  favora- 
ble  place,  moor  the  shij)  firmly  between  convenient  ice 
floes,  and  then  let  the  ice  screw  itself  together  around  her 
as  much  as  it  pleases  —  the  more  the  better.  The  ship 
will  simply  be  lifted  out  of  the  water  into  a  firm  and  se- 
cure ice  berth."  Henceforth  —  so  the  project  continues 
—  the  current  takes  up  the  work  of  propulsion  ;  the  ship 
is  no  longer  a  means  of  transport  but  a  barrack.  The 
current  sweeps  it  past  the  Pole  and  onward  into  tiie  sea 
between  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen.     At  the  8oth  degree 


' 


liii 


win  I  TJIE   CLRRENT 


tSi 


of  latitude,  or  pos.siljly  before  that  if  it  be  summer,  it  will 
l)robab]y  find  open  water  and  be  able  to  sail  home.  IJut 
if  it  should  be  erushed  by  the  pressure  of  the  ice  ?  Then 
the  equipir.ent  and  provisions  will  be  moved   to  a  stronj; 


iii;«f^=  :i  ?!;i?a 


NAX'^I.N   ON     IliK    l(  K    (SI'MMI  U    I>KI'.ss) 
(i  roiii  an  i>istiiiii,uiei'iis  /'lu>l(\i;r,i/'/i) 

ice  floe,  where  the  tents  will  be  ])itched,  warm  tents  of 
double  sail-cloth  v/ith  .ui  hitermediate  layer  of  reindeer- 
hair.  One  can  i^et  far  upon  an  ice  floe.  The  crew  of 
tiie  Hansa  drifted  from  Smith  Sound  riiiht  down  to  Davis 
Strait.  But  if  the  ice  floe  should  break  ?  Even  that  will 
not  be  fatal,  for  the  stores  will  be  distributed  over  the  ice 
and  placed  upon  vooden  rafts.     Then,  having  in  this  way 


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NAXSEN  JN  TJIK   FKO/.EN  WORLD 


arrived  in  the  (jrccnland  sea  and  found  ()j)en  water,  the 
expedition  will  take  to  its  boats.  It  is  not  the  first  time 
Norwegian  seamen  have  traversed  the  Arctic  Sea  in  open 
boats;  if  your  boats  are  good,  it  is  not  at  all  ini]K)Ssible  to 
get  on  amid  the  ice. 

And  it  is  no  unreasonable  calculation  that  all  this  may 
take  no  more  than  two  years.  Five  years'  provisions,  at 
any  rate,  will  be  amply  sufficient.  With  the  food-stuffs 
now  available,  there  is  no  fear  of  scurvy.  Besides,  a 
certain  amount  of  fresh  meat  may  jirobably  be  counted 
on  ;  seals  and  polar  bears  are  to  be  found  very  far  north, 
and  the  sea  no  doubt  contains  plenty  of  small  animals 
which  may  be  eaten  at  a  j)inch.  But  suppose,  now,  that 
the  yeaiinctic  current  does  not  pass  right  across  the  Pole, 
but,  say,  between  the  Pole  and  P'ranz  Josef  Land  .'^  That 
matters  very  little.  "  We  do  not  set  forth  to  seek  for  the 
mathematical  j^oint  which  forms  the  northern  end  of  the 
earth's  axis ;  to  rea(-h  this  particular  spot  is  not,  in  itself, 
a  matter  of  the  first  moment.  W  hat  we  want  to  do  is  to 
investii^ate  the  <'reat  unknown  ret-ions  of  the  earth  which 
surround  the  Pole;  and  our  in\estigations  will  have  prac- 
tically the  same  scientific  value  whether  we  reach  the 
actual  Pole  itself,  or  pass  at  some  distance  from  it  — 
curious  though  it  would  be,  no  doubt,  to  stand  on  the 
very  Pole  and  be  turned  around  with  the  earth  on  one's 
own  axis,  or  see  the  oscillations  of  the  pendulum  describe 
an  angle  of  exactly  fifteen  degrees  in  the  hour." 

Nansen  finallv  dwells  upon  the  scientific  significance  of 

J  \  CD 

polar  exploration — its  im])ortant  bearing  upon  the  prob- 
lems of  geograph)-,  terrestrial  magnetism,  atmospheric 
electricity,  the  /\inT)ra  Borealis,  the  solar  spectrum,  dawn 
and  twilight,  the  physical  geography  of  the  sea,  meteor- 


//■////    TJIE    CLRRI'.X'J' 


'»3 


ology,  zoulogy  and  botany,  jiala-'ontology  and  geology. 
"We  Norwegians,"  so  he  ends  his  lecture,  "have  before 
now  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  exploration  of  the 
Arctic  area ;  our  gallant  Tromso  and  Hammerfest  men 
in  particular  have  done  excellent  service  in  this  respect. 


BP 


2S^i 


NANSEN   ON   THK    ICK    (WINTER    IIKESS) 
(Front  nil  instantant'oris  f'ltotOi;y,tt<h) 

But  as  vet  no  Norwegian  crew  has  set  forth  straiuht  for 
the  Pole  in  a  Norwegian  craft. 

"  The  polar  area  must  and  shall  be  investigated 
throughout  its  whole  extent.  There  has  hitherto  been  a 
noble  rivalry  between  the  nations  as  to  which  should  first 
achieve  the  goal ;  and  one  day  it  will  be  achieved. 


i 


m 


\m 


(If 


184 


IVANS  EN  /N  THE  FROZEN    WORLD 


I    I 


I   V 


■' 


it  SI 


Tl   ■ 


ml 


"  May  it  be  Norway's  fortune  to  lead  the  way!  May  it 
be  the  Norwegian  flag  that  first  floats  over  the  Pole !  " 

In  November,  1892,  Nansen  expounded  the  same  plan 
before  another  geographical  society,  not  a  young  body 
like  ours,  but  old  and  world-renowned  above  all  others  — 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  in  London. 

There  was  a  brilliant  cjatherincr,  includinrr  almost  all 
the  Englishmen  who  have  distinguished  themselves  in 
Arctic  exploration,  and  they  are  not  a  few.  Before  this 
society,  the  first  to  which  Nansen,  on  his  return  from 
Greenland  (1S89),  had  set  forth  the  results  of  his  expedi- 
tion —  before  this  society,  which  had  done  more  than  any 
other  for  the  advancement  of  Arctic  research  —  before,  in 
short,  the  most  competent  body  of  Arctic  specialists  in 
the  world  —  he  had  now  both  to  explain  and  to  defend 
the  basis  and  the  details  of  his  plan. 

There  they  sat  before  his  eyes,  all  those  celebrated 
explorers  whose  names  were  already  inscribed  in  the 
history  of  Arctic  research  —  those  grizzled  and  white- 
haired  pioneers  of  the  polar  world,  the  heroes  of  so  many 
an  achievement  before  Nansen  was  born.  There  sat 
Admiral  Sir  George  Nares  himself,  the  celebrated  chief 
of  the  Alert  and  Discovery  expedition,  during  which 
Commodore  Markham  had,  on  May  12,  1876,  reached  the 
latitude  of  83°  20',  a  record  which  only  Lockwood  had 
since  beaten.  There  sat  Admiral  Sir  Leopold  McClin- 
tock,  leader  of  the  Fox  expedition  (1857-58),  by  which 
Franklin's  fate  had  been  finally  ascertained.  There,  too, 
was  Admiral  Sir  E.  Inglefield,  who  in  1852  brought  Kane 
Basin  within  the  sphere  of  geographical  knowledge.  And 
there,  among  the  rest,  w^as  the  famous  Arctic  traveller. 
Sir  Allen  Young,  who,  so  long  ago  as  1857,  had  accom- 


h 


WITH  THE   CURREN2' 


'85 


!► 


panied  McClintock,  and  in  1S75  had  taken  tlie  Pandora 
right  up  into  Smith  Sound  to  bring  tidings  of  the  Nares 
expedition — the  same  Pandora  whicli,  under  the  name 
of  the  Jeannetlc,  carried  the  liapless  De  Long  to  his  fate. 

A  whole  host  of  other  famous  polar  travellers  were 
present  —  Admiral  Ommanney,  Dr.  Rae,  Captain  Wig- 
gins, the  well-known  Yenisei  trader,  Captain  Wharton,  etc. 

It  was  to  this  illustrious  gathering  that  Nansen  was  to 
expound  his  scheme.  His  lecture  was,  as  usual,  clear, 
sober,  attractive  in  'ts  form,  and  plausible  in  its  matter. 
But  he  here  stood  face  to  face  with  a  concentrated  mass 
of  experience,  all  tending  to  prove  the  insuperable  difficul- 
ties of  polar  travel,  which  could  not  instantly  make  way 
for  a  new  idea.  Practically  all  of  these  famous  pioneers 
of  Arc'"ic  research,  one  after  another,  commented  unfavor- 
ably upon  the  scheme. 

Old  Admiral  Sir  Leopold  McClintock  opened  the  dis- 
cussion as  soon  as  the  lecture  was  over.  He  began  his 
speech  thus :  "  I  think  I  may  say  this  is  the  most  adven- 
turous programme  ever  brought  under  the  notice  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  We  have  here  a  true  Vik- 
ing, a  descendant  of  those  hardy  Norsemen  who  used 
to  pay  this  country  such  frequent  and  such  unwelcome 
visits."  But  he  could  not  venture  to  express  any  great 
confidence  in  the  scheme  put  forward,  even  supposing 
Dr.  Nansen  succeeded  in  getting  into  the  alleged  polar 
current.  Sir  Leopold  feared  the  force  of  the  ice-pressure, 
and  did  not  believe  that  it  would  force  the  ship  up  on 
the  ice. 

The  next  speaker,  too.  Admiral  Nares,  expressed  strong 
doubts  as  to  the  plan.  He  particularly  doubted  whether 
the  Fram  would  succeed   in  finding  any  polar  current, 


i86 


nai\si<:n  in  the  frozen  world 


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;  fill' 

4:.' 


% 


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--! 


and   dwelt    upon   the  dant^crs  of  a  drift  voyage  such   as 
Nansen  projected. 

Admiral  Inglefield  expressed  himself  more  favorably, 
but  Sir  Allen  Young  again  emphasized  the  dangers  and 
difficulties,  thought  that  Ian  .1  and  shallow  water  would  be 
found  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Pole,  and  very  much 
doubted  whether  the  ship  would  be  forced  up  on  the  ice. 
His  opinion  was  that  it  would  be  wisest  to  strike  for  the 
north  from  a  point  well  to  the  westward  of  the  New 
Siberia  Islands. 

Captain  Wiggins,  too,  was  opposed  to  making  the  New 
Siberia  Islands  the  starting-point,  "  as  they  are  the  most 
treacherous,  low,  sandy,  muddy,  horrible  j^laces."  Ikit,  on 
the  whole,  he  apj)roved  of  Nansen's  plan,  and  ended  by 
wishing  him  a  hearty  God-speed. 

Captain  Wharton,  a  well-known  authority  on  these 
questions,  gave  him  warm  encouragement  as  to  his  theory 
of  the  current.  He  thus  ended  his  speech  :  "  People 
sometimes  ask:  What  is  the  use  of  Arctic  exploration  .'' 
Amongst  other  things  I  think  it  may  be  said  that  its  use 
is  to  foster  enterprise  and  bring  gallant  men  to  the  front. 
To-nicrht  we  have  an  excellent  example  of  that  in  Dr. 
Nansen.     I  can  only  say  to  him,  God-speed  !  " 

Manuscript  communications  from  Admiral  Sir  George 
Richards  and  the  celebrated  Sir  Josej^h  I).  Hooker  were 
also  read,  both  sceptical  and  full  of  warnings.  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker  thus  ended  his  remarks  :  "  I  may  conclude  with 
expressing  the  hope  that  Dr.  Nansen  may  dispose  of  his 
admirable  courage,  skill,  and  resources  in  the  prosecution 
of  some  less  perilous  attempts  than  to  solve  the  mystery 
of  the  Arctic  area." 

It  was  not  until  late  in  the  evening  that  Nansen  him- 


II 


WITH  THE   CURRENT 


187 


self  was  at  last  called  upon  for  a  short  reply  to  all  these 
doubts  and  anxious  warnings.  Mis  answer  is  as  like  him 
as  it  could  be.  Though  plainly  willing  enough  to  take 
advice  as  to  details,  he  is  in  the  main  unshaken  in  his 
conviction  of  the  practicability  of  his  scheme.  And  while 
he  answers,  point  by  point,  the  objections  to  it,  he  gathers 
new  arguments  from  these  objections  themselves.  Refer- 
ring to  Admiral  Nares's  remark,  that  an  Arctic  expedition 
ought  always  to  have  a  secure  line  of  retreat,  he  answers  : 
"  I  am  of  the  opposite  opinion.  My  Greenland  expedi- 
tion proved  the  possibility  of  carrying  out  such  an  enter- 
prise without  any  line  of  retreat,  for  in  that  case  we  burnt 
our  ships,  and  nevertheless  made  our  way  across  Green- 
land. I  trust  we  shall  have  the  like  good  fortune  this 
time,  even  if  we  break  the  bridges  behind  us." 

It  is,  as  Sir  Leopold  McClintock  said,  the  old  Viking 
blood  that  speaks  in  these  words. 

For  it  is  true,  as  that  famous  explorer  hinted  at  the 
beginning  of  his  speech,  that  there  is  a  touch  of  romance 
in  Nansen's  scheme.  It  is  constructed,  indeed,  upon  a 
scientific  basis  ;  but  no  one  who  was  exclusively  a  man 
of  science,  or  exclusively  a  sportsman,  would  have  had  the 
foresight  to  conceive  such  a  plan,  or  the  courage  to  exe- 
cute it.  A  creative  and  daring  imagination  is  its  deter- 
mining element. 


1    I 


1 1' 


;i'M 


n 


i^pff  I 


CHAPTER   XI 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 

Immediately  aftcT  his  return  from  Greenland,  Nansen 
was  offered  the  post  of  Curator  of  the  Zootomic  Museum 
of  Christiania  University,  and  accepted  the  offer.  Be- 
sides the  duties  of  tliis  position,  an  immense  quantity  of 
work  fills  up  the  interval  between  the  Greenland  and  the 
North  Pole  ex))editions ;  he  writes  the  story  of  what  he 
has  done,  and  he  makes  the  pre})arations  for  what  he  has 
yet  to  do.  And  to  all  this  we  must  add  his  lecturing 
tours  to  different  parts  of  Europe. 

In  1S89  he  married  a  daughter  of  the  late  Professor  M. 
Sars,  like  his  well-known  son,  Professor  O.  Sars,  an  emi- 
nent naturalist.  Fru  Nansen  is  probably  the  most  skilful 
lady  skirunner  in  Norway,  besides  having  attained  great 
celebrity  as  a  concert  singer. 

A  honeymoon  was  out  of  the  question.  The  day  after 
the  marriage,  the  happy  couple  started  by  way  of  Gothen- 
burg, Copenhagen,  flushing,  and  London,  for  Newcastle, 
the  scene  of  a  geographical  congress  which  lasted  a  week, 
while  the  new-made  wife  wondered  in  her  secret  soul  that 
her  husband  should  thus  prefer  "  geography "  to  "  love." 
Thence  back  to  London.  In  the  great  city,  they  let  the 
world,  with  its  discovered  and  undiscovered  countries, 
look  after  itself,  and  gave  themselves  up,  in  the  solitude 
of  that  densely  peopled  wilderness,  to  the  rapture  of  ex- 
istence.   Then  they  passed  six  glorious  days  in  Paris.     In 


KVA    NANSF.N 
{From  a  photogrnph) 


if 


,1    '. 


190 


AJA'S/uV  IN  THE   FRO/. EN  WORLD 


October  tlu-y  were  home  aj;ain  ;  but  the  sixteenth  of  the 
month  found  tliem  once  more  on  the  move,  this  time  for 
Stocishohn,  to  attend  a  mectini;"  of  the  Swedish  Anthro- 
pological and  ( ieot;ra|)hiral  Society.  This  society  had, 
in  January,  iS,S(j,  determined  lo  confer  its  I'li^a  medal 
upon  I'ridtjof  Nansen,  and  it  was  now  handed  to  him  by 
the  KiuL;".  Oidy  'iw^  j)eo|)le  had  received  it  —  Norden- 
skj()ld,  Palander,  Slanic)-,  i*r/,ewalski,  and  juid<er.  'i'he 
spokesman  of  the  societ)',  Professor  (lustaf  Retzius,  said 
in  tlie  course  of  his  speech:  "  I  )r.  Nansen  has  iiad  for- 
time  on  his  side  in  his  hrst  enterprise.  Let  us  ho|)e  that 
this  victory  may  not  prove  his  Narva,  leading  him  to  un- 
derrate difficuUies,  and  lluis  lurini;  him  on  to  a  Pultowa. 
May  it  be  only  the  first  of  a  series  of  trium|>hs  !  "  The 
speaker  knew,  he  said,  that  Dr.  Nansen  was  in  no  way 
|)i'{Ted  uj)  ])y  his  .ichie\ement,  but  precisely  the  same  as 
he  had  been  two  years  ago  when  he  came  to  Stockholm 
to  consult  l^rofessor  Nordenskjold  as  to  his  projected 
journey.  But  Nansen  might  well  be  proud  of  his  exploit, 
the  speaker  continued,  because  it  was  an  honor,  not  only 
to  himself,  but  also  to  his  country.  It  is  not  on  the  field 
of  battle  that  small  nations  can  vindicate  their  place  in 
the  world,  and  secure  their  independence.  It  is  in  the 
domain  of  culture,  of  civilization,  of  science  and  art  —  a 
domain  which  lies  open  to  all  —  that  they  must  press 
forward  into  the  front  rank  and  strive  for  the  palm  of 
victory.  Here  it  is  that  they  must  seek  for  their  true 
distinction,  and  earn  the  respect  of  the  great  nations. 

As  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  Vega  medal  was  the  first 
distinction  of  its  kind  conferred  upon  Nansen.  Seven 
years  ago,  as  an  unknown  seal-hunter  in  the  Polar  Sea,  he 
had  looked  with  reverence  upon  the  gallant  craft  which 


m 


"\W.. ■ '   iw" 


DR.   NANSEN 


^ 


I 


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19a 


NAXSEN-  IN  THE  FRO/.EN  WOKI.D 


\     :     A 


1 
: 

:  .   ..    f- 

i 

il 

:  i  t 

li 

had  borne  Ncirdcnskjolcl  anHind  Asia.  Now  he  liimsclf 
held  a  place  of  honor  by  the  side  of  that  renowned  travel- 
ler, and  received  the  medal  which  bore  the  name  of  his 
ship  and  was,  according  to  custom,  presented  on  the  day 
when  the  Vega  reached  Stockholm  after  her  northeast 
passage. 

The  V^cga  medal  was  far  from  being  the  only  mark  of 
distinction  conferred  upon  him.  In  the  course  of  these 
years  Nansen  became  a  mcmljer  of  a  host  of  geograph- 
ical and  other  learned  societies,  and  received  several  gold 
medals  and  other  dect/rations.  We  may  mention  the 
Karl  Ritter  medal,  and  the  Victoria  medal  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society,  conferred  upon  him  in  the  begin- 
ning of  1 89 1.  This  celebrated  body  states  as  follows  its 
reasons  for  selecting  him  for  this  distinction :  "  The 
patrons  of  the  Victoria  medal,  to  Dr.  Fridtjof  Nansen, 
for  having  been  the  first  to  cross  the  inland  ice  of  Green- 
land,  a  perilous  and  daring  achievement,  entailing  a  jour- 
ney of  more  than  three  months,  thirty-seven  days  of  which 
were  passed  at  great  elevations,  and  in  the  climate  of  an 
Arctic  winter;  obliging  him  to  lead  a  forlorn  hope  with 
the  knowlcdire  that  there  could  be  no  retreat,  and  that 
failure  must  involve  the  destruction  of  himself  and  his 
companions ;  and  calling  forth  the  highest  qualities  of  an 
explorer.  For  having  taken  a  scries  of  astronomical  and 
meteorological  observations  under  c'  cumstances  of  ex- 
treme difficulty  and  privation,  during  a  march  which 
required  exceptional  powers  of  strength  and  endurance, 
and  mental  faculties  of  a  high  order,  as  well  as  the 
qualities  of  a  scientific  geographer,  for  its  successful 
accomplishment.  And  for  his  discovery  of  the  physical 
character  of  the  interior  of  Greenland,  as  well  as  for  other 
valuable  scientific  results  of  his  expedition." 


NANSKN  AT  HOME   AM)   ABROAD 


'93 


A  di.stiii<;ui.shccl  friend  in  Copcnhaj^cn,  uiitiiig  to  con- 
gratulate Nansen  on  receiving  tiie  Victoria  medal,  ends 
his  letter  thus;  "If  you  sliould  hereafter  become  '  Com- 
mander'  or  '  Cirand  Cross'  of  any  order  whatsoever,  you 
must  excuse  me  if  I  do  not  congratulate  you.  Crowds  of 
people  have  the  right  to  wear  a  ribbon  ;  but  the  Victoria 
medal  is  held  by  very  few,  and  it 's  a  devilish  select  co)n- 
pany  it  brings  you  into." 

The  Cirand  Cross  is  presumably  in  reserve  for  his 
return  from  the  Polar  Seas.  Hitherto  Nansen  has 
received  the  Knights'  Cross  of  the  St.  Olaf  Order  (May 
25,  iS.Sg)  and  of  the  Order  of  the  Dannebrog.  It  can 
scarcely  be  indiscreet  to  add,  that  it  pained  him  greatly 
to  be  the  sole  recipient  of  these  distinctions.  lie  felt 
strongly  that  his  comrades  who  had  risked  their  lives  with 
him,  and  shared  with  him  his  toils  and  dangers,  ought 
also  to  share  with  him  the  i)ublic  recognition  of  their 
exploit.  It  was  certainly  no  fault  of  his  thai  he  was  the 
only  meniber  of  the  expedition  who  received  the  cross  of 
St.  Olaf. 

Even  before  he  returned  from  Greenland  he  had  been 
elected  a  member  of  the  Christiania  Scientific  Society. 
A  whole  host  of  evidences  of  the  appreciation  of  his 
achievement  in  scientific  circles  streamed  in  upon  him 
after  his  return,  in  the  form  of  letters  from  the  leading 
authorities  on  Arctic  exploration.  We  shall  here  quote 
only  a  single  expression  from  a  letter  addressed  to  him 
by  the  celebrated  Arctic  traveller,  Sir  Clements  Mark- 
ham,  dated  March  11,  1891.  He  says  of  the  Greenland 
expedition  :  "  For  my  part  I  regard  it  as  being,  from  the 
geographical  point  of  view,  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
achievements  of  our  time,  remarkable  alike  for  intrepidity 

and  for  the  importance  of  its  scientific  results."" 
13 


'94 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


\  \ 


I   \ 


'  f 


i 


On  June  24,  1 89 1,  Nanscn  was  appointed  Correspond- 
ing Member  of  the  Institute  of  France,  in  succession  to 
Nordenskjold,  who  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Foreign 
Associate. 

When  he  and  iiis  wife  returned  from  Stockhohii  they 
lodged  for  two  months  with  Martha  Larsen,  formerly 
housekeeper  at  Great  Froen,  whom  we  have  already  had 
occasion  to  mention  more  than  once.  Her  house,  which 
revived  all  the  memories  of  his  childhood,  was  like  a 
haven  of  rest  where  he  could  take  refuge  at  any  time. 
He  had  lived  with  her  during  the  "  hard  spring,"  when  he 
had  to  struGfCfle  both  with  his  doctoral  thesis  and  with 
his  preparations  for  the  Greenland  expedition.  Here  he 
would  seek  rest  and  refreshment  of  an  evening  in  chatting 
over  the  old  days  at  Froen. 

"  Do  you  remember,  Martha,"  he  wo  aid  say  all  of  a 
sudden,  "  that  time  when  I  came  to  you  streaming  with 
blood  from  a  cut  in  the  leg.'' " 

"  Indeed  I  do  —  you  had  fallen  on  some  broken  glass." 

"  No  —  I  can  tell  you  the  truth  now,  Martha.  You  see 
we  had  got  new  sheath-knives,  both  Alexander  and  I ; 
and  as  I  was  slashing  the  heads  off  thistles  with  my  new 
knife,  I  ran  it  into  my  leg.  But  of  course  I  could  n't  tell 
you  that." 

"  It  was  n't  like  you  to  tell  me  a  lie,"  says  Martha,  with 
mild  reproach. 

"  No,  but  there  's  a  limit  to  everything,  Martha ;  and  I 
could  n't  have  the  new  sheath-knife  taken  from  me." 

It  has  been  the  lot  of  Martha  Larsen  to  sweeten  the 
year-long  toils  of  the  polar  explorers.  Not  that  she,  per- 
sonally, took  part  in  the  expedition  ;  but  she  was  the  self- 
appointed  purveyor  of  jams  and  jellies  to  the  Fram.     In 


I 


NANSEN  AT  NOME   AND  ABROAD 


^95 


the  course  of  his  voyage  northward,  when  Nansen  was 
sending  his  farewell  greetings  in  letters  to  all  who  stood 
very  near  to  him,  or  had  played  an  important  part  in  his 
life,  he  did  not  forget  his  faithful  old  friend.  iM'om  Kha- 
barova,  Yugor  Strait,  he  writes  to  her  on  August  3,  1S93: 
"  As  I  am  on  the  point  of  leaving  this  last  place  from 
which  letters  can  be  despatched,  I  must  send  you  a  part- 
ing greeting,  and  thank  you  for  all  your  friendship  and 
goodness  to  me."  Her  friendship  he  describes  as  untir- 
ing, and  says  that  she  is  always  finding  opportunities  to 
be  of  service  to  him  and  to  his  wife.  We  need  not  apol- 
ogize for  referring  to  this  simple  little  lett'jr.  It  is  not 
every  celebrated  man  whose  memory  is  so  alert  at  the 
critical  moments  of  his  life. 

From  Martha  Larsen's  the  newly-married  couple  re- 
moved to  the  Drammen  Road,  where  they  set  up  house. 
But  there  was  too  little  sun  here,  and  too  much  town,  too 
much  civilization.  They  determined  to  build  for  them- 
selves, and  bought  a  site  at  Svartebugta  (the  Black  Bay), 
where  Nansen,  as  a  boy,  had  often  lain  in  ambush  for 
wild  duck.  While  their  building  operations  were  in  pro- 
gress, they  lived  in  a  pavilion  close  to  Lysaker  railway 
station  —  a  pavilion  which  has  since  been  transformed  by 
the  painter,  Otto  Sinding,  into  a  comfortable  house  with 
a  splendid  studio.  But  up  to  this  time  it  had  never  been 
inhabited.  The  f^oor  was  close  to  the  ground,  and  it  w^as 
very  cold ;  the  water  in  the  pitchers  froze  hard  every 
night.  "  That  winter,"  says  Mrs.  Nansen,  "  cured  me  of 
the  habit  of  feeling  cold."  In  this  dog-hutch  and  in  this 
biting  cold,  Nansen  set  himself  down  to  his  book  upon 
Greenland  —  he  had  no  difficulty  in  recalling  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  inland  ice. 


m 


k 


196 


NAiVSEA'  IN  TIIK   FROZEN   WORLD 


f      I 


I  !f 


% 


II 


# 


If  he  took  an  hour's  holiday  and  became  a  human 
being  again,  he  repented  of  it  afterward.  But  he  was  for- 
ever going  over  to  watch  the  jDrogress  of  the  new  house, 
in  the  details  and  arrangements  of  which  he  took  a  keen 
interest.  The  "  high  seat,"  and  the  Ijcd,  in  the  old  Nor- 
wegian style,  were  executed  from  his  own  designs  by 
Horgersen,  afterward  so  well  known  as  a  wood-carver. 
The  house,  which  was  built  by  Mrs.  Nansen's  cousin. 
Architect  Welhaven,  was  finished  in  March  1890,  but 
they  had  moved  into  it  long  before  that.  It  was  Bjorn- 
stjerne  Bjornson  who  .  ave  it  its  name.  He  rose  from 
the  "  high  seat,"  chani|jagne-glass  in  hand,  and  said  : 
'' Godthaab  skal  det  hcde!''  ("It  shall  be  called  Good 
Hope  !  ") 

Godthaab  lies  in  the  bight  formed  by  a  little  projecting 
ness,  sheltered  and  secluded,  and  quite  alone.  In  front  of 
the  house  is  a  wooded  and  grassy  slope,  leading  down  to 
the  shore,  whence  the  fjord  stretches  wide  and  open  right 
to  Nesodland.  Here  M?.nsen  had  his  foot  on  his  own 
ground,  and  could  keep  his  own  boat  for  sailing  on  the 
fjord. 

But  in  the  autumn  he  set  off  on  a  long  lecturing  tour, 
accompanied  by  his  wife.  He  spoke  in  Copenhagen, 
London,  Berlin,  Dresden,  Leipzig,  Munich,  and  Ham- 
bursf.  We  have  received  from  one  of  the  most  eminent 
geographers  in  Europe,  Baron  Ferdinand  von  Richthofen, 
a  very  valuable  statement  of  the  impression  which  Nan- 
sen  at  this  time  left  behind  him  in  scientific  circles.  We 
quote  from  a  letter  dated  May  17,  1896  :  — 

"  As  I  have  been  confined  to  my  room  for  several 
weeks,  and  am  not  yet  permitted  to  do  more  than  the 
most  imperative  work,  I  unfortunately  cannot  give  myself 


r, 


11 


NANS  EN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


'97 


NANSEN  S    HUMK 


the  pleasure  of  entering  upon  a  detailed  account  of  Dr. 
Nansen's  visit  to  Berlin.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  you  will 
accept  in  its  stead  the  following  brief  notes. 

"  Fridtjof  Nansen  was  here  in  November,  1S90,  two 
years  after  his  memorable  crossing  of  Greenland,  and  a 
year  and  a  half  after  his  return  to  Norway.  As  he 
wanted  to  complete  his  book  describing  the  expedition, 
he  had  hitherto  been  unable  to  accept  any  of  the  repeated 
invitations  he  had  received  to  visit  Berlin,  On  Novem- 
ber 8  he  lectured  before  a  meeting  of  the  Geographical 
Society.  He  was  warmly  received,  for  we  had  all  fol- 
lowed his  daring  journey  with  interest.  The  peculiar 
magic  of  his  personality,  which  never  fails  to  affect  those 


I 


« 


I 


rr 


198 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\L 


who  stand  face  to  face  with  him,  was  strongly  felt  during 
the  delivery  of  this  lecture.  He  took  us  all  captive  by 
the  magnetism  of  his  immovable  will.  We  saw  in  him  a 
strong  man  marching  toward  a  clearly  realized  goal,  and 
clinging  with  tenacious  energy  to  a  well-weighed  and 
carefully  projected  ])lan.  We  were  strongly  impressed 
with  this  feeling,  even  as  he  told  of  his  crossing  of  Green- 
land,  and  how  he  had  '  burnt  his  ships  '  before  setting 
forth  on  what  was  then  regarded  as  a  foolhardy  act  of 
darinix.  And  it  was  with  [growing  enthusiasm  that  the 
meeting  hung  upon  his  words  as  he  went  on  to  sketch 
''n  outline  his  great  new  scheme  for  reaching  the  North 
Pole.  Many  were  of  opinion  that  the  enterprise  was 
altogether  too  hazardous,  and  were  doubtful  of  the  }}rem- 
iscs  on  which  he  based  his  belief  in  its  possibility.  But 
not  one  amon<r  his  hearers  doubted  that  if  the  thinci  was 
within  the  range  of  human  possibility,  Nansen  was  the 
one  man  j)redestii-ed  to  carry  it  out.  On  looking  into 
the  reasons  for  the  brilliant  success  of  his  first  undertak- 
ing, one  could  not  but  recognize  that  they  lay  in  the 
care  with  which  every  detail  of  the  ]Dlan  was  thought  out, 
the  sedulous  forestalling  of  every  possible  contingency, 
the  physical  training  which  enabled  him  to  cope  with  all 
physical  difficulties,  the  talent  for  making  the  most  of 
mechanical  aids  to  locomotion,  and  finally,  the  indomita- 
ble strength  of  will.  Although,  no  doubt,  this  new  pro- 
ject far  surpassed  the  former  enterprise  in  magnitude 
and  daring,  yet  all  the  precautions  necessary  to  secure 
a  fortunate  result  seemed  to  have  been  conceived  on  a 
proportionally  larger  scale. 

"  Such,  my  honored  friend,  is   the  impression   Nansen 
left  behind  him.     No  one  who  was  present  can  ever  for- 


R    :f 


I 


i 


ol 


ro- 


ck 


I  re 


len 


)!"- 


I  Hi 


i 

4 


w 


p 


ill 


200 


A^A.VS£Ar  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


get  tlie  picture  of  the  handsome,  well-knit  young  man 
who  so  modestly  told  the  story  of  an  accomplished  feat, 
and  sketched  in  such  simple  words  the  outlines  of  a  still 
more  daring  enterjirise.  Every  one  felt  fully  assured  that 
whatever  determination,  strength,  and  intelligence  can  do 
to  vanquish  the  hostile  forces  of  Arctic  nature  might  be 
confidently  expected  of  F"ridtjof  Nansen.  And  although 
we  cannot  quite  rid  ourselves  of  the  idea  that  the  assump- 
tions on  which  the  scheme  is  founded  are  not  as  yet  fully 
established,  yet  we  are  convinced  that  Nansen's  clear 
insight  will  realize  the  actual  conditions  when  he  comes 
face  to  face  with  them,  and  that  he  will  wisely  confine 
himse'f  to  attempting  what  is  physically  possible,  instead 
of  clinging  with  stolid  obstinacy  to  the  plan  once  laid 
down.  In  this  confidence,  we  look  forward  to  seeing 
your  gallant  young  countryman  return  with  a  rich  harvest 
of  scientific  results,  followed  as  he  is  by  the  warm  sympa- 
thy of  the  whole  civilized  world. 

"  One  thing  I  must  add  to  my  account  of  the  impres- 
sion produced  by  Nansen.  I  must  note  the  happy  com- 
bination in  him  of  a  remarkable  spirit  of  enterprise  with  a 
strong  scientific  sense.  These  two  qualities  are  not  often 
found  together.  Especially  in  our  age  of  athletics,  it  may 
almost  be  said  to  be  the  rule  that  the  most  daring  exploits 
—  for  example,  in  mountain  climbing  —  are  carried  out 
purely  for  their  own  sake  and  to  satisfy  a  mere  love  of 
adventure.  So  much  the  more  heartily  should  we  ap- 
plaud the  man  who  is  impelled  by  higher  motives  to  the 
conquest  of  the  greatest  physical  difficulties.  Nansen's 
lecture  left  no  doubt  of  his  keen  interest  in,  and  thor- 
ough understanding  of,  the  problems  connected  with 
Arctic  research.     He  took  espec  .1  pains  to  acquire  and 


T: 


f 


I 


NANSEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


201 


I 


communicate  a  scientific  insight  into  the  physical  con- 
formation and  conditions  of  Greenland;  and  he  has  clearly 
a  no  less  enli'j^htcned  sense  of  the  scientific  significance 
of  polar  exploration." 

What  especially  occuj^ied  him  in  these  years  was  the 
preparations  for  the  Polar  Expedition.  The  e(|uipment 
involved  an  immense  expenditure  of  thought  —  from  the 
construction  of  the  ship  to  the  minutest  detail  of  the  com- 
missariat. Even  the  selection  of  the  crew  must  have 
meant  a  great  deal  of  correspondence  —  no  fewer  than 
150  foreigners  applied  for  leave  to  join  the  expedition. 
The  list  is  headed  by  Englishmen  and  Americans,  then 
come  Germans,  Danes,  Swedes  and  Finns,  Italians  and 
Frenchmen,  etc.  The  labor  was  enormous.  Evervthing 
had  to  pass  through  his  head,  every  one  of  the  thousand 
details.  Compared  with  this  mental  toil,  the  labor  of 
dragging  the  sledges  over  the  Greenland  ice  fields  was 
little  more  than  child's  play.  It  engrossed  him  day  and 
night,  and  encroached  terribly  on  the  few  hours  that  were 
left  for  his  home  and  his  family.  The  strain  upon  his 
vital  force  was  incomparably  greater  than  in  any  of  his 
previous  efforts. 

In  ihe  beginning  of  1S92  he  again  set  forth  on  a  lectur- 
ing tour,  this  time  in  England,  the  profits  going  to  the 
expedition  fund.  He  spoke  in  London  and  in  the  other 
great  towns  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  visiting 
Liverpool,  Manchester,  Sheffield,  Birmingham,  Hull,  New- 
castle, Edinburgh,  Belfast,  Dublin,  Bristol,  and  many  other 
places. 

"  His  lectures,"  writes  a  friend  in  England,  "  were  highly 
appreciated  and  made  a  great  success.  His  mastery  of 
the  English  language  was  remarkable.     He  made  himself 


n 


;t1 


f  V'l '' 

is  '* 

}       1 

I!  I 


II 


;     :t 


Itt 


!02 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


thoroiiL^hly  lieard  and  understood.  Of  course  he  read  his 
addresses ;  but  to  my  tliinkint^  liis  speakiiv^  was  most 
effective  when,  at  the  end  of  his  last  lecture  before  the 
Royal  Geograjjhical  Society,  he  laid  his  manuscript  aside. 
It  was,  in  a  sense,  a  farewell  to  England,  inspired  by  a 
depth  of  feeling  which  stirred  his  audience  to  enthusiasm. 
I  can  assure  you  that  when  Nansen  returns,  a  magnificent 
reception  awaits  him  in  this  country." 

Late  in  the  autumn  of  this  year  his  ship  was  launched. 

"  A  wliole  troo])  of  invited  guests,"  writes  Gustaf  Ret- 
zius,  in  the  "  Aftonblad  "  for  November  3,  ICS92,  "  took  the 
morning  train  on  October  26,  from  Christiania  to  Laurvik. 
There  had  been  ten  degrees  of  frost  in  the  night ;  snow- 
had  fallen,  and  a  thin  white  veil  lay  over  hill  and  valley. 
Gradually  the  mists  dispersed,  and  the  morning  sun  shone 
out  with  the  peculiar  softened  splendor  characteristic  of 
a  clear  winter  day.  Nansen  himself  receives  us  at  Laurvik 
station,  and  leads  us  to  a  whale-boat,  lying  at  the  i)ier, 
with  a  crow's-nest  at  its  foretop.  It  carries  us  down  the 
fjord,  then  turns  to  the  left  and  runs  in  shore.  Here,  in 
Raekevik  Bay,  lies  the  hull  of  a  ship,  shored  up  on  the 
beach,  with  its  stern  to  the  sea.  It  is  Fridtjof  Nansen's 
new  shij),  which  is  now  to  go  off  the  stocks.  The  hull  is 
high  and  broad,  black  below,  white  above.  The  three 
goodly  masts  of  American  pitch-pine  are  still  lying  along- 
side her  on  the  wharf.  Three  flagstaffs  have  been  erected 
on  the  deck,  two  with  flags,  the  one  in  the  middle  without. 
It  is  reserved  for  the  pennant  bearing  the  ship's  as  yet 
unknown  name,  which  is  to  be  hoisted  after  the  christen- 
ing. There  are  many  speculations  as  to  what  the  name 
is  to  be.     People  guess  Eva,  Leif,  Norge,  and  Nordpolcn. 

"  Thousands  of  spectators  have  gathered  around  Colin 


ii! 


n 


o 


73 


wr 


!l 


204 


A'^JVS£JV  JN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


ll 


< 


il 


f  ■ 


Archer's  wliarf,  thousands  have  clambered  uj)  on  the 
rocks.  But  around  the  great  vessel  lying  shored  uj)  on 
the  slips  stand  groups  of  sturdy  figures  in  working  clothes, 
with  grizzled  hair  and  furrowed  features,  carefully  examin- 
ing her  lines  and  build.  These  are  whalers  and  seal-hunt- 
ers who  have  year  after  year  braxed  the  dangers  of  the 
Polar  Sea.  There  are  also  many  workmen  among  them, 
ship's-carpenters  who  have  helped  in  the  building,  and 
who  now  regard  their  work  with  just  satisfaction.  Hut  the 
master  builder  is  the  stately  man  with  the  serious  refined 
features  and  the  long  white  beard.      It  is  Colin  Archer. 

"  iM'idtjof  Nansen,  followed  Ijy  his  wife,  now  mounts  a 
platform  erected  close  to  the  vessel's  bows.  Mrs.  Nansen 
steps  forward,  breaks  a  champagne  bottle  against  the  stem 
at  one  strong  blow,  and  says  loud  and  clear :  '  Fram  skal 
den  hcde '  —  *  She  shall  be  called  Fram.' '  At  the  same 
moment  the  flag  is  hoisted  on  the  unoccupied  flagstaff, 
and  the  word  can  be  read  in  white  letters  upon  a  red 
ground.  The  last  moorings  are  now  quickly  cast  off,  the 
last  supports  knocked  away,  and  the  great  vessel  glides, 
at  first  slowly,  then  quicker  and  quicker,  stern-foremost, 
down  the  sharply  sloping  groove  which  leads  to  the  water. 
It  plunges  deeper  and  deeper.  For  a  moment  it  almost 
seems  as  though  it  were  going  to  sink,  or  at  any  rate  to 
strike  the  bottom.  But  as  the  stem  approaches  th^e  water 
the  stern  rises,  and  finally  the  whole  vessel  floats  away,  to 
be  brought  back  in  a  few  minutes,  laid  alongside  the 
wharf,  and  there  moored.  At  the  moment  w^hen  the 
whole  bulk  of  the  ship  had  taken  the  water,  a  great  wave 
swept  shoreward  and  washed  over  the  rocks  and  over  the 
onlookers  who  had  perched  themselves  close  to  the  sea. 

^  Fram  =  Forwards. 


I  It 


NA.YSJwV  AT  JIOME   AXD  ABROAD 


aos 


We  could  sec  tlicni  from  the  distance  scnimbliuLj;  like  wet 


fli 


tl 


les  u]")  the  slij)i)ery  rocks 


k^ 


A  kirtre  boat  which  liad  been 


swept  asiiore  by  the  wave  was  with  difficuky  saved,  but 
without  misadventure. 

"On  tlie  pkitfonn,  by  his  wife's  side,  iM'idtjof  Nansen 
stood  tall  and  erect,  and  watched  the  scene.  All  eyes 
were  bent  upon  them.  We  coukl  not  but  think  what 
tlieir  feehni;s  must  have  been  at  the  moment  when  the 
vessel  glided  into  the  sea:  feelinijfs  of  <'ladness  that  the 
prologue  to  the  long  dark  drama  that  was  to  be  enacted 
in  the  polar  night  was  now  happily  concluded  ;  feelings 
of  pain  at  the  thought  of  tlie  long  separation  that  lay 
before  them. 

"  Vox  all  who  were  ])resent,  it  was  a  moment  of  deep 
emotion  when,  amid  the  booming  of  s^uns  and  the  thun- 
dering  cheers  of  the  multitude,  the  Fravi  })lunged  into 
the  sea  and  rose  again  proudly  in  its  freedom.  Many 
were  afterward  heard  to  say  that  it  was  one  of  the  most 
impressive  experiences  of  their  lives.  As  the  ship  glided 
forth  in  the  silvery  light  reflected  from  the  calm  surface 
of  the  sea,  we  seemed,  in  a  flash  of  foresight,  to  be  read- 
ing the  Saga  of  the  future.  We  seemed  to  glance  down 
the  vista  of  her  destiny,  to  see  her,  in  waters  no  keel  has 
yet  furrowed,  spreading  light  over  regions  no  eye  has  yet 
seen.  And  when  we  came  to  think  of  the  stern  realities 
which  must  one  day  surround  the  vessel  and  its  crew  on 
their  daring  quest,  the  cold,  the  darkness,  the  storms,  the 
icebergs,  and  all  that  follows  in  their  train,  we  could  not 
but  feel  a  touch  of  awe.  But  in  Fridtjof  Nansen's  serene, 
unembarrassed,  steadfast  glance,  there  was  no  trace  of 
doubt  or  anxiety.  He  has  the  faith  and  the  will-power 
that  can  move  mountains." 


H! 


\     11 


i      < 


i<\\\ 


f 


% 


If    ' 


T-'    • 


li 


|i 


i\ 


206 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Colin  Archer,  the  builder  of  the  Fnim,  belonj^s  to  a 
Scotch  family.  His  name  is  widely  known  and  highly 
resj)ected  in  Norway.  "  It  is  not  many  years  since  our 
pilot  boats  were  sadly  deficient  in  point  both  of  speed  and 
of  safety.  They  were  neither  well  built  nor  well  designed 
for  the  work  they  had  to  do,  so  that  it  frecjuently  haj)- 
pened  that  the  boat  went  down  and  took  the  i)il()t  with  it. 
Mr.  Archer  devoted  himself  to  the  task  of  furnishing  our 
pilots  with  a  faster  and  safer  sea-boat.  After  more  than 
twenty  years'  work,  he  has  met  with  such  success  that 
the  pilot  can  now  face  almost  any  weather  in  one  of  his 
boats,  and  that  those  he  leaves  at  home  need  no  longer 
tremble  and  turn  pale  when  the  surf  is  lashing  and  the 
storm  swee])ing  over  the  sea." 

In  a  speech  which  he  made  that  day,  Mr.  Archer  said 
that  he  would  never  have  been  able  to  solve  this  peculiar 
problem,  so  unlike  any  that  he  had  hitherto  attempted, 
if  Nansen  himself  had  not  furnished  him  with  the  key; 
it  was  Nansen's  constructive  sense  that  had  throughout 
pointed  the  way.  But  Nansen  had  no  less  right  on  his 
side  when  he  praised  Colin  Archer's  talent,  and  expressed 
the  belief  that  never  before  had  a  ship  been  built  for 
Arctic  work  with  any  approach  to  the  care  and  thought 
which  had  been  devoted  to  this  one.  Let  us  hope  that 
Colin  Archer's  most  noteworthy  "  pilot  boat,"  which  is  to 
pilot  humanity  through  ice-packed  channels  and  over  un- 
known waters,  may  stand  the  test  as  well  as  the  other 
"  Archer-boats,"  its  predecessors. 

The  Fram,  which  in  reality  somewhat  resembles  a  pilot 
boat,  is  specially  designed  to  play  the  part  allotted  it  in 
Nansen's  general  scheme.  His  idea  is  not  to  burst  his 
way  by  force  through  masses  of  ice,  but  to  let  the  Fram 


\ 
1 


I 


NANSEN  .IT  If  ami   AAV)  A/iA'O.ID 


207 


:v 


lie  firmly  frozen  in  and  be  carried  forward  by  the  current. 
It  is  not  a  fast  siiip,  then,  that  he  needs,  but  a  vessel 
which  can  bear  an  immense  pressure  of  ice  without  beinj; 
crushed.  It  Iiad  to  be  so  desit^ned  that  the  ice  should 
not  be  able  to  Ljrij)  its  sides  and  squeeze  them  together, 
but  should,  as  it  were,  wedge  itself  under  the  hull  and 
force  it  up  out  of  the  water.  Vnv  this  reason  the  sides 
and  bottom  are  stroiv^ly  rounded.  In  order  to  secure 
the  greatest  possible  strength  the  ship  had  to  be  as  small 
as  possible,  and  particularly  short  in  i)n)portion  to  its 
breadth.  This  would  facilitate  both  the  raising  of  the 
hull  wlien  the  ice  got  packed  under  it,  and  the  handling 
of  the  vessel  among  the  tloes  when  it  should  be  released 
from  its  ice-berth. 

The  Franis  lentjth  on  deck  is  i2iS  feet;  len<j:th  on 
water-line,  113  feet;  keel,  102  feet.  Her  extreme  breadth 
is  36  feet ;  breadth  at  water-line,  exclusive  of  ire-skin, 
34  feet;  depth,  17  feet.  When  she  is  lightly  loaded,  the 
draft  of  water  is  12^  feet.  The  keel,  which  is  14  inches 
by  14  inches,  American  elm,  projects  only  3  inches  be- 
low the  planking,  and  its  edges  are  well  rounded.  The 
frames  are  double,  being  built  chiefly  of  Italian  oak,  ob- 
tained from  the  dockyards  at  Horten,  where  it  had  been 
stored  for  thirty  years.  The  lining  is  pitch-pine.  Tlie 
outside  planking  consists  of  three  layers :  the  inner  one 
being  3  inches  oak,  the  middle  one  4  inches  oak,  and 
outside  all  an  ice-skin  of  greenhcart,  increasing  in  thick- 
ness from  3  inches  at  the  keel  to  6  inches  at  the  water- 
line.  Both, bow  and  stern  are  protected  by  a  covering 
of  iron  bars.  The  total  thickness  of  the  ship's  sides 
is  24  to  28  inches,  and  their  power  of  resisting  pressure 
is  thus  very  considerable  ;  but  it  is  greatly  increased  by 


II  |i 


"III 


Ml 


t\ 


;  .;i: 


Hi 


208 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


.  . 


i: 


powerful  beams  or  stays  of  wood  or  iron.  The  hold 
is  divided  into  three  water-tight  compartmeiits.  The 
structural  strength  of  the  Fram  is  thus  quite  exceptional. 
Never  before  has  a  vessel  been  so  fortified  auainst  the 
attacks  of  the  ice. 

During  these  years  of  toil  Nansen  enjoyed  breathing 
spaces,  when  he  gathered  his  friends  around  him.  These 
pleasant  interludes  in  his  work  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  took  part  in  them.  They  remember  the  din- 
ner when  all  the  pointers  —  Werenskjold,  Eilif  Peterssen, 
Skredsvig,  Munthe,  Sinding  —  gave  themselves  up  to 
high  jinks  without  beginning  or  end,  when  they  would 
on  no  account  listen  to  polite  speeches,  but  rushed  inio 
the  kitchen  and  set  the  pump  going  whenever  any  one 
began.  Nansen  was  thoroughly  at  home  among  the  paint- 
ers—  he  himself  dabbled  a  little  in  their  handicraft,^  and, 
during  his  Bergen  days,  had  worked  in  the  studio  of  old 
Schiertz,  who  thought  he  had  the  makings  of  an  artist  in 
him. 

They  remember,  too,  that  Midsummer  Eve,  when 
Lammers  sane:  of  the  hero  Roland,  and  Nansen  went 
down  to  the  bonfire  and  piled  on  wood. 

By  way  of  exemplifying  the  hours  of  relaxation  in  the 
life  of  labor  depicted  in  this  book,  one  of  the  authors 
will  note  down  hvs  recollections  of  a  luncheon  party 
at  Nansen's  house,  the  day  after  the  launch  of  the  Fram. 

1  Nansen  draws  excellently;  all  the  plates  for  his  zoological,  anatomical, 
and  histological  essays  are  drawn  by  himself.  We  may  mention,  as  a  charac- 
teristic instance  of  his  energy  in  every  department,  that  he  was  not  content 
with  himself  making  the  drawings  for  his  works,  hut  also  learned  lithograph}-, 
so  that,  for  example,  the  plates  in  his  principal  essay  on  the  nervous  system 
are  drawn  on  the  stone  with  his  own  hand. 


NANS/iN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


J09 


It  had  rained  ovcrnij^ht,  so  that  the  roads  were  ankle- 
deep  in  autumn  mud.  Nansen  himself  met  us  at  the 
station  in  the  liii^hest  of  spirits. 

When  we  reached  his  house  (a  c|uarter  of  an  hour's 
walk  from  Lysaker  station)  it  was  raining.  The  fjord 
stretched  before  us  dark  anrl  dei)ressing,  the  gray  autumn 
sky  seemed  to  droop  disconsohite  among  the  pine  stems. 
But  in  Nansen's  study  tranches  and  logs  were  crackling 
and  smouldering  cosily  upon  the  open  hearth. 

Here  everything  is  in  old  Norse  style.  Nansen  him- 
self, as  before  mentioned,  designed  the  furniture  of  light 
pine-wood,  beautifully  carved  with  dragon  arabes(|ues. 
Over  the  high  seat  hangs  a  tapestry  of  an  anticpie  pat- 
tern. 

Luncheon  was  served  in  the  cosey  little  dining-room, 
and  merriment  was  the  order  of  the  day.  W\\\  justice 
was  done  to  one  dish  after  another ;  and  Nansen  is  not 
the  man  to  forget  to  season  the  viands  with  talk.  lie 
was,  of  course,  still  full  of  memories  of  the  previous  day, 
and  one  incident  of  the  launch  after  another  was  related 
and  discussed.  Mrs.  Nansen  had  to  analyze  her  sensa- 
tions at  the  moment  when  she  broke  the  chamj)agne 
bottle  a'j^ainst  the  bow  and  said  :  "  Fram  skal  den  Jiedc  !  " 
Some  one  else  related  how  Archer  was  seen  to  close  his 
eyes  when  the  ship  began  to  move;  and  so  forth. 

When  the  champagne  ap])eared,  Nansen  proposed 
Retzius's  health,  and  Retzius  thus  ended  his  speech  in 
reply :  — 

"  This  is  a  delightful   home  of   yours,   Nansen,  and    I 

cannot  but  marvel  at  your  resolution  in  tearing  yourself 

away  from  it  to  set  forth  into  the  ]3olar  winter,  and  brave 

an  unknown  fate.     You,  a  biologist,  have  the  sea  stretch- 

14 


1  J 


j::.. 


',i 


fHH 


:  lo 


A'ANSEN  IN   TJIK    FRO/.EX  WOKLD 


i) 


,  j 

\ 

i' 

\ 

1 

i 

1 
"'"■      ■              I 

1 

1 

1 

■ 

\i              i 

ii        ! 

:  1 

!  • 

It 

I  L 

ing  before  your  very  windows,  with  all  its  inexhaustible 
and  fascinating  treasures.  1  lere  you  are  in  the  midst  of 
all  your  old  friends,  the  marine  fauna  —  with  worms, 
moUusks,  and  mud-eels  at  your  beck  and  call.  W'e  scien- 
tists, who  so  highly  appreciate  Nansen  the  biologist  — 
the  man  who  has  successfully  steered  many  a  voyage  of 
exploration  o\'er  the  unknown  depths  of  the  biological 
world,  and  especially  through  the  intricacies  of  the 
nervous  system — cannot  quite  reconcile  ourselves  to  the 
thought  that  you  are  deserting  this  field  of  labor  to  go  so 
far  and  to  be  absent  so  Ioult. 

"  Hut  you  have  yourself  determined  it,  you  have  decreed 
your  own  destiny. 

"  And  besides,  when  the  explorer  returns  from  his 
adventurous  voyage,  the  biologist  will  find  the  field  of 
investigation  as  rich  as  e\'er.  You  may  make  )'our  mind 
easy  —  we  who  are  left  at  home  will  not  reap  the  whole 
harvest — there  will  be  ])lenty  left  for  you  to  do.  We  arc 
as  yet  only  at  the  beginning  of  our  work. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  I  fear,  and  that  is  that 
I'^ridtjof  Nansen,  when  he  comes  back  from  the  North 
Pole,  will  discover  that  the  earth  has  a  South  Pole  as 
well." 

As  we  clink  Masses  and  drink  Nansen's  health,  strange 
thou£i"hts  fill  our  minds.  Who  knows  when  this  circle  of 
friends  may  meet  again  ?  Not,  at  any  rate,  until  one  of 
them  shall  have  returned  from  afar. 

Nansen  is,  as  usual,  quiet  and  at  his  case.  As  the  later 
courses  come  on,  we  £>'et  him  to  tell  us  some  of  his  stories, 
lie  has  an  unusual  gift  of  oral,  no  less  than  of  written 
narrative  ;  he  describes  picturesquely,  with  powerful 
touches,  and,  on  occasion,  with  charming  humor.     First 


NANS  EN  AT  HOME    AND   AH  ROAD 


1 1 


we  get  him  on  the  |M)kir  Ijears.  Then  some  one  asks 
about  the  time  when  he  and  Mrs.  Nansen  cHmbecl  Nore- 
fjeld  on  New  Year's  Eve. 

"Yes,  it  was  really  New  Year's   I'^ve  ;  it  was  in    1890. 
Eva  and  I  had  gone  iij)  to  Knkleren  for  a  breath  of  fresh 


m 


NANSEN    AND    MRS.    NANSI'N    ON    SNOW-SHOI'.S 


atcr 

ries. 

ten 

■rful 

"irst 


air,  and  we  made  up  our  minds  to  climb  Norefjeld  —  to 
the  top  of  course.  We  slept  at  Olberg,  and  were  rather 
lazy  in  the  morning,  so  that  it  was  about  ten  o'clock 
before  we  made  a  start.  And  we  did  n't  hurry  at  all  at 
first,  so  that  the  day  slipped  on.  It 's  something  of  an 
ascent  even  in  summer;  but  in  winter,  when  the  days  are 
short,  you  have  to  look  sharp  if  you  want  to  get  to  the 


1-'^ 


1(. 

:1 


if:  'I 


i 


I 


212 


N.INS/CN  IN  TIfE   FRO/.KN    WORLD 


top  while  it's  li<^ht.  And  then  we  had  taken  a  course  of 
our  own  —  well,  it  may  have  been  the  most  direct,  but  it 
certainly  was  n't  the  (|uickest.  The  snow  was  very  dee]), 
and  we  had  n't  any  guide.  At  last  we  could  n't  possibl)- 
use  our  snow-shoes  any  longer  ;  it  got  so  steep  we  had  to 
take  them  off  and  carry  them.  Put  we  were  bound  to  do 
it  all  the  same  ;  you  can't  face  about  and  leave  a  thing 
half  done,  however  much  ice  and  frozen  snow  there  may 
be.  The  last  piece  almost  beat  us ;  I  had  to  cut  our  way 
step  by  ste})  with  my  staff.  I  went  ahead,  Eva  followed. 
It  reminded  me  of  what  the  little  girl  wrote  in  her  school 
essay:  '  k'or  e\'ery  step  we  went  forward,  we  went  two 
ste])s  back.     At  last  we  reached  the  top.' 

"  Well,  we  too  reached  the  top,  but  it  was  dark,  and  we 
liad  been  at  it  from  ten  till  five  with  nothing  to  eat.  So 
now  we  set  to  and  picnicked  in  the  snow  and  the  pitchy 
darkness,  on  inysost^  and  pemmican  mixed." 

"You  may  thank  heaven  we  don't  treat  you  to  that 
to-day,"  said  Mrs.  Nansen. 

"  Yes,  you  made  wry  faces  over  it,  Eva,"  growled  her 
husband.     "  But  it 's  all  a  matter  of  habit." 

We  limbered  ox-er  our  walnuts  and  our  wine  while  Nan- 
sen  continued :  "  Well,  there  we  two  sat  alone  in  the 
snow  at  the  to])  of  Norefjeld,  something  like  5,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  I'he  frost-wind  nij)i:)ed  our 
checks,  the  darkness  grew  denser  and  denser.  Ear  away 
in  the  west  there  lingered  a  very,  ve  y  feeble  gleam  of  day, 
the  last  in  the  year.     We  had  to  see  about  getting  down 


agam. 


"  We  struck  a  course  more  or  less  in  the  direction  of 
Eggedal.     F'rom  Hogevarde "  down  into  the  valley  is  per- 

'  Goat's  milk  cheese,  ^  The  top  of  Norefjeld. 


ilS 


I  I 


NAA\SEN  AT  J/O.UE  AND   AH  ROAD 


2  13 


ian- 

thc 

I  feet 

our 


1  of 
ber- 


haps  about  a    Norwegian  mile,'  whieh   would  have  been 
thing  at  all  if  it  had  been  light.      liut   it  was  n't  so  easy 


no 


to  find  our  way  in  the  darkness. 

"  Off  we  plunged  into  the  night,  I  ahead  and  Iiva  fol- 
lowing. We  went  like  the  wind  over  rocks  and  slopes, 
and  it  was  no  joke  to  keep  our  balance,  I  can  tell  you. 
When  you  've  been  out  in   the  dark  for  some  time,  a  sort 


o 


f  dim  shimmer  seems  to  rise  from  the  snow  ;  )()L1  can't 
call  it  light,  but  it  is  n't  absolute  darkness  either.  I  leaven 
knows  how  we  managed  to  get  along  sometimes,  but  man- 
age we  did.  All  of  a  sudden  I  had  to  stoj)  short,  and 
shout  to  Kva.  It  was  too  steej)  for  snow-shoes,  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  sit  down  and  slide.  It  's  not  good 
for  your  trousers,  but  it  's  safer  in  the  dark. 

"The  wind  nipi)ed  our  ears  till  they  tingled,  for  it  was 
freezing  like  anything;  and  on  we  went.  .Suddenly,  as 
we  were  going  at  full  sjjeed,  my  liat  blew  off  —  a  little 
gray  hat  of  the  sort  I  usually  wear. 

"  So  I  had  to  put  the  brake  on,  and  get  to  my  legs  again. 
Far  up  I  saw  something  h\?zV  upt)n  the  snow,  scrambled 
up  to  it,  seized  it,  and  found  it  was  a  stone.  The  hat  must 
be  farther  back  —  yes,  there  it  was.  Again  I  clutched  at 
a  stone.  Hats  seemed  to  swarm  all  over  the  snow;  but 
when  I  came  to  put  them  on  they  all  turned  to  stones. 
Stones  for  bread  may  be  bad  enough,  but  stones  for  hats 
are  not  a  whit  better.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to 
go  ahead  hatless. 

"  Eva  remained  where  I  had  left  her.  '  Eva  ! '  I  shouted, 
'  Eva  !'     The  answer  came  from  far,  far  below. 

"  There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  that  mile.  But  we 
managed  to  keep  going  somehow ;  and  now  and  then  we 

^  Seven  English  miles. 


1| 


ii , 


P"  --. 


m 


/I ' 


I 


'  I 
in 
I'M 

ill 


h'-i 


214 


NANS  EN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


could  use  our  snow-shoes  too.  All  of  a  sudden  the  ground 
seemed  to  fall  away  at  our  feet;  we  stopped  at  the  verge 
of  a  })recipitous  bank  —  how  iiigh  it  was  we  could  n't  see, 
but  over  it  we  had  t(j  go,  one  first,  the  other  after  The 
snow  was  deejj,  and  when  that  is  so,  you  can  clear  incred- 
ible distances. 

"  We  had  long  ago  lost  our  bearings,  if  we  had  ever  had 
any.  We  only  knew  that  we  must  go  ahead.  At  last  we 
came  to  a  dead  fix.  Eva  had  once  more  to  sit  and  wait 
while  I  cast  about  for  a  way.  I  went  grojjing  around  in 
the  darkness  and  was  a  lonu;  time  i>"one.  All  of  a  sudden 
a  thought  struck  me  :  supj^ose  she  were  to  fall  asleej) ! 
Such  things  have  been  known  to  hai)pen,  and  she  must 
be  dead  tired.  '  Eva,  Eva  ! '  I  shouted.  '  Yes  ! '  she  an- 
swered right  enough,  but  this  time  from  far,  far  above.  If 
she  had  fallen  asleep  I  don't  know  that  I  could  ever  ha\'e 
found  her  again.  As  it  was  I  groped  my  way  up  to  her, 
brinfi:int>;  with  me  the  (::ood  news  that  I  had  found  a  water- 
course.  I  won't  say  that  a  watercourse  is  the  best  possi- 
ble snow-shoe  course,  especially  in  ]:)itchy  darkness,  when 
your  stomach  is  empty  and  your  conscience  ill  at  ease  — 
for  this  was  really  a  reckless  piece  of  work.  But  some- 
how or  other  we  did  contrive  to  make  our  way  down  the 
watercourse. 

"  Now  we  were  among  the  birch-trees,  and  at  last  we 
struck  upon  a  road.  So  the  worst  was  over.  Ear  down, 
we  came  upon  a  hut.  I  thought  it  looked  cosey  enough, 
but  Eva  said  it  was  dirty  and  horrid.  And  now  she  was 
quite  lively;  she  was  determined  to  push  on.  Just  like  a 
woman. 

"  To  make  a  long  story  short,  we  at  last  reached  the 
parish  clerk's  house  in  Eggedal.     It  was  now  late  at  night, 


I 


NAi\SEN  AT  HOME  AM)  A/iKOAD 


2  I 


icn 


igh, 
was 
:c  a 

the 
rht, 


so  we  had  to  wake  the  j)e()i)Ie  iij).  'I'lie  |)arish  clerk  was 
quite  frightened  when  he  heard  we  had  eonie  Iroiu  liie  top 
of  Norefjekl. 

"  This  time  V.xa  was  not  so  particular  about  her  night's 
lodging.  She  had  no  sooner  sat  down  in  a  chair  than  she 
fell  asleej)  ;  it  was  twelve  at  night,  and  she  had  been  on 
her  feet  for  fourteen  hours. 

'"  He's  cjuite  worn  out,  poor  bo)','  said  the  i)arish  clerk; 
for  V.\:\  was  wearing  a  gray  snow-shoeing  dress,  with  a 
short  skirt  and  trousers. 

"  '  It  is  my  wife,'  said  I. 

"You  should  ha\e  heard  the  exclamations.  'Oh  Lord, 
oh  Lord,  you  don't  mean  to  say  so  !  Thiid^  of  dragging 
your  wife  with  you  over  the  top  of  Norefjekl  on  New 
Year's  live  !  ' 

"  Hut  now  came  supper  —  and  as  soon  as  she  smelled 
that  it  was  not  inysos/  :\\m\  penunican  she  wakened  up. 

"  It  ended  in  our  resting  three  days  at  the  j)arish  cU-rk's 
—  and  that  was  our  New  Year's  \\\d  ascent  of  Nort'fjeld. 
I  thought  it  great  fun  ;  but  I  don't  know  what  \\\:\  would 
say. 

"  When  we  left  Iiggedal  the  poor  boy  and  I  drove  down 
Numedal  to  Kongsberg,  and  the  bov  was  almost  fro/en  to 
death. 

"  But  one  has  to  go  through  a  little  hardship  now  and 
then  to  enjoy  life  i:)r()perly  after  it.  If  \()U  don't  know 
what  cold  is,  neither  do  you  know  what  it  is  to  be  warm." 

The  time  draws  on  for  the  great  departure.  The  sum- 
mer of  1S93  has  come.  In  the  evenings,  while  his  secre- 
tary is  writing  at  full  speed,  and  Nansen  is  walking  up 
and  down  directing  and  dictating,  he  will  suddenly  slip 


fi 


it 


\i 


2l6 


NANS/iiV  IN  TJIK   FROZEN  WORLD 


'<\ 


II 


out  antl  appear  on  the  slope  in  front  of  the  house.  Here 
l)hintin^-  is  goii^i;'  on  —  gooseberry  and  currant  buslies, 
apj)le  and  i)ear  trees.  Nansen  himself  |)()inls  out  to  the 
gardener  where  every  tree,  every  bush  is  to  stand.  "  It  will 
be  splendid  soil,"  .says  the  man,  as  he  fills  the  holes  with 
mould  mixed  with  seaweed.  "Oh  yes,  I  hope  they'll  grow," 
says  Nansen.  The  evening  sun  throws  long  shadows 
from  the  great  ])ine  stems  in  front  of  the  house,  the  waves 
wash  softly,  in  a  long  slow  swell,  against  the  beach.  The 
nurse  comes  out  of  the  lu)use  carrying  little  Liv,  who  is  to 
be  put  to  bed. 

How  long  will  be  the  shadows  cast  by  these  bushes  and 
trees  before  he  comes  back?  How  many  evenings  will 
the  sun  disajjpear  behind  the  ridge,  before  current  and 
wind  and  wave  bring  his  ship  home  again  }  Evening  after 
evening,  month  after  month,  year  after  year  I 

On  Midsummer  Day  \\\^i  Fram  lies  at  Pipervik  ready 
to  start.  Only  a  small  group  of  Christiania  peojjle  have 
gathered  to  stare  at  the  clumsy-looking  ship,  which  still 
lies  at  its  berth  long  after  the  time  ajjjxjinted  for  the  start. 

So  slight  is  the  notice  taken  of  an  achievement  in  the 
bud.  When  he  comes  back  again,  all  Christiania  will  turn 
out  to  receive  him.  Hut  men  are  always  so.  As  though 
it  were  nothing  to  conceive  this  great  design,  to  take  this 
immense  responsibility,  to  bear  all  burdens  until  you  are 
ready  to  drop  under  them  —  and  to  stand  erect  on  the 
C[uarter-deck  and  take  your  life  in  your  hands.  There 
were  not  many  that  day  who  remembered  the  old  saying 
which  had  been  cited  at  Rnekevik  when  the  Fram  was 
launched  :  "  Magnos  homines  virtiite  mdimui^,  non  for- 
tunar  (We  judge  great  men  by  their  virtue,  not  by  their 
luck,) 


I     I  ii 


till 


N.LVSJiN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD 


217 


Hut  amoiiL:  those  who  had  liathLTcd  to  see  Nansen  off 
were  many  members  of  the  Storthi'iiL;.  iiy  two  resolu- 
tions, whicli  must  be  reekoned  to  the  crecHt  of  so  small  a 
l)eo|)le,  the  StorlhiiiL;'  had  contributed  a  sum  of  about 
$75,000  to  the  expenses  of  the  expedition.  'l\)-day  it  had 
adjourned  in  order  to  bid  farewell  to  its  leader.  But 
Nansen  liad  not  been  informed  of  this,  and  had  not  yet 
come  on  board.  The  members  of  the  Storthin<'-  waited 
for  hours,  and  at  last  could  wait  no  longer. 

J'lven  at  the  last  moment  there  were  details  of  business 
that  Nansen  had  to  attend  to.  The  whole  morning 
l^assed,  and  he  had  had  scarcely  a  moment  to  exchange 
a  word  with  his  wife.  The  farewell  was  of  the  shortest. 
When  he  came  downstairs,  little  Liv  was  brought  to  him 
smiling.  He  took  the  child  in  his  arms:  "Ah  yes,  you 
l.iugh,  Liv,  but  I !  "      He  sobbed. 

Then  he  jumped  into  the  little  petroleum  launch, 
steamed  up  the  fjord,  boarded  the  Fram,  taking  no  notice 
of  any  one,  went  u])  to  the  bridge,  and  gave  orders  for  the 
start.  Those  who  saw  his  face  at  that  moment  will  never 
forget  it. 


h  I 


One  i^icture  from  liis  story  of  that  New  Year's  Kve  ex- 
pedition has  often  risen  before  our  minds  during  these 
years  of  waiting.  .She  sits  alone  upon  the  mountain,  and 
gazes  forth  into  the  imj^enetrable  darkness,  so  long,  so 
long.  Then  a  voice  is  heard  from  far  off  on  the  snow- 
field.     He  is  there!     He  is  comin*'' ! 


\\' 


r:' 


««        1: 


Ni! 


I. 


CIIAPTl'K    XII 


ON    I'.OAkI)     IIII'.        I'kAM 


iii 


,11 


1     M 


TiiK  wind  had  been  n\t;ht  ahead  the  whole  day,  writes 
Professor  \V.  C  Hn)L!;!jjer,  ever  since  we  started  from 
Landej^ode.  W'e  had  (ii'^t  made  a  tack  under  full  sail 
rii^ht  across  the  V'estfjord  toward  Moskena's  Island,  a:,  1 
had  now  put  about,  and  were  heading  straight  for  the 
j)assage  southeast  of  Skraaven. 

The  steady  fresh  Ijreeze  had  swept  the  sky  clean,  and 
lifted  the  sea  into  foam-topped  waves  which  plashed 
monotonously  against  the  broad  bow  of  the  I'ratn,  as  she 
jiloughed  her  wa)-  through  them,  as  hea\y  as  an  oKl 
Dutch  galliot  and  as  steady  as  a  rock. 

Uj)  on  the  bridge  the  |)il()t,  1  laagensen,  was  pacing  to 
and  fro  in  sturdv  securitv,  now  and  then  shouting  an 
order  to  the  man  at  the  wheel  in  his  homely  Nordland 
dialect.  Hut  the  fairway  was  at  this  point  so  clear  that 
there  was  not  very  much  for  a  pilot  to  do  —  a  wide  chan- 
nel in  front,  and  a  steadv  wind  blowing-,  hour  after  hour. 

At  the  end  of  the  bridge  Nansen  had  rigged  uj)  for 
himself  an  open-air  studio  —  an  easel  and  a  few  boxes  of 
pastel  colors  —  and  here  he  sat  the  whole  evening,  and 
well  on  into  the  night,  in  his  yellow-gray  silk  mackintosh, 
heedless  of  the  cold  wind  (which,  however,  was  gradually 
dropping),  dabbing  on  colors,  and  smudgiiig  with  lis  fm- 
ger-tips  on  the  sandpaper,  so  intently  and  indefatigabl}- 
that  he  rubbed  the  skin  off.     The  blood  trickled  from  the 


\ 


■^ 


ON  nOAKl)    Till'.    '^FKAyf' 


-'") 


If 


M 


'^1 


ti'^*^ 


TllK    "  I'KA.M  "    IN    BER(.EN 


abrasion,  and  made  a  broad   red  strijic  down  tlie  sky  (i 
his  landscape. 

And  the  landscape  the  Fram  was  passing  was  indeed 
worth  painting  in  its  sunset  radiance.  No  pen  could 
possibly  draw  a  true  picture  of  its  ever-changing  splendor 
of  form  and  hue. 


}J\ 


ii! 


230 


N.IXS/'IN  IN  THE   FRO/.lu\   WORLD 


W  :t 


ICastward,  illiimiiicci  l)y  the  reflection  of  the  sinkiiv.j 
sun,  rose  the  whole  mighty  array  of  tlie  crests,  and  peaks, 
and  summits  of  tlie  mainland;  while  to  the  west,  the  end- 
less snow-flecked  I.ofoten-W'all  loomed  dark  and  threat- 
enini;,  a  chain  of  Alps  springing  right  up  from  the  sea. 
The  sun  was  so  low  that  the  island  mountains  lay  en- 
tirely in  the  shadow,  dark  purple  silhouettes  against  the 
marvellously  soft  and  shifting  colors  of  the  evening  sky. 

Over  the  highest  peaks  hung  hea\y  grayish  white 
masses  of  cloud,  now  melting  into  the  stri|)s  of  snow, 
which  formed  a  delicate  lace-like  collar  around  the  shoul- 
ders of  Vaagekallen,  now  transpierced  by  the  smouldering 
glow  of  the  evening  sun,  which,  down  toward  Moskena-s 
Island,  formed  a  continuous  broad  band  of  gold  over  the 
low-lying  banks  of  mist,  like  the  reflection  of  a  sea  of  fire 
in  the  far  distance. 

Above  our  heads  stretched  the  pale  evening  sky, 
toning  off  into  greenish  blue  and  the  most  delicate  rose- 
pink,  so  cloudless,  and  bright,  and  jjure,  that  it  seemed 
as  though  Heaven  had  si)ecially  willed  that  Nansen  and 
his  comrades  should  see  our  land  at  its  very  loveliest, 
without  stain  or  flaw,  before  they  bade  it  farewell.  And 
beneath  us  leaj)ed  the  glorious  sea,  still  crisping  into 
foam-crests  that  shone  white  on  the  dark  blue  ground  — 
our  forefathers'  royal  road  to  "  fame  and  might,"  ^  the  road 
on  which  the  Fravi  was  now  covering  the  first  stages  of 
her  way  to  immortality. 

The  Fram  plodded  doggedly  on  toward  Skraaven. 
I  lour  after  hour  the  strange  sharp  peak  stood  out  right 
ahead  of  us,  seeming  always  to  recede  as  we  advanced. 

'  An  allusion  to  the  Danish  national  song,  Koiit;  Christian  stod  ved  hojen 
Mast. 


,  i 


ON  IWAKD   THE  '' ERAM' 


aai 


The  Fram,  as  \vu  know,  docs  not  protend  to  he  a  cli|)|)er. 
She  has  no  occasion  for  sj)eed,  she  has  tlie  years  before 
her.  Rij^ht  you  are,  I'ram  !  Slow  and  sure  wins  in  the 
end.     Chi  va  piano  va  sduo,  clii  va  forte  va  in  mortc. 

The  Fravt  was  now  comparatively  trim  and  ship-shajje; 
Sverch'up  himself  had  superintended  the  cleanin*^  |)r()cess, 
and  worked  the  hose  the  whole  afternoon,  while  (ijertsen 
followed   him   with    the  mop,  and   whole    rivers  of   water 


pou 


re 


d    thi 


rouL;h    the    scu])pers,    carryi 


m 


wi 


th    ll 


lem    al 


sunerlluities.      I    slu)uld   not    like   to  swear  that    they  did 


}' 


not  now  and  then  sc|uirt  a  dro|)  or  two  amonj^  Nansen's 
pastels,  when  they  hap|)ene(l  to  pass  under  the  bridj^e ; 
but  it  could  not  be  helped  —  the  /•>«;;/  had  to  bestir  her- 
self in  order  to  look  presentable  when  she  i^ol  to  liomsi), 
and  a  daily  scouring  was  necessary  to  remove  all  traces 
of  the  coal-shifting  operations  in  Na'rosu nd. 

Now  the  coal  was  finally  stowed  away  in  the  hold,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  dried  fish  cleared  from  the  deck 
both  fore  and  aft,  so  that  the  ship  began  to  look  fairly 
habitable  auain.  This  clearinu:  up  had  cost  a  t^ood  deal 
of  trouble,  for  the  crew  was  small,  and  things  were  not 
yet  quite  in  working  order.  The  chief  difTiculty  lay  in 
the  fact  that  the  cargo  was  so  exceedingly  heterogeneous. 
It  is  not  so  easy  to  get  everything  into  order  when  an 
exact  account  has  to  be  kept  of  where  all  the  innumer- 
able articles  are  stowed,  so  that  they  may  always  be  at 
hand  when  needed,  perhaps  in  the  moment  of  danger. 
Thus  every  one  had  his  own  dej^artment  to  attend  to  in 
addition  to  the  general  work  of  the  ship,  and  the  average 
day  was  anything  but  a  holiday. 

Even  now,  one  or  two  had  not  yet  finished  their  day's 
work.     The    first   mate   was   busy   carpentering.     Little 


'I  ! 


;ir 


B 


222 


JVAAS£JV  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


;f« 


'Si 

1 

'i 

i 

i  I 

% 

i  j 

;| 

IIS 


111 


Scott  Hansen  was  every  one's  favorite ;  although  a  mere 
boy  to  undertake  such  a  voyage,  —  he  was  only  twenty- 
five, —  he  did  his  man's  work  with  the  best  of  them  He 
was  always  in  good  humor,  always  friendly  and  ]Dleasant 
to  every  one ;  but  his  eyes  would  beam  with  affection 
when  they  fell  u}Jon  the  barometers  and  chronometers 
and  all  his  other  dear  instruments  uj)  in  the  chart-room, 
which  had  been  placed  under  his  care.  He  was  to  be 
both  astronomer  and  meteorologist  —  and  first  mate  into 
the  bargain,  and  a  little  of  everything  else.  He  was 
expecting  to  meet  Professor  Mohn  next  day  up  at  Lodin- 
gen,  and  was  consequently  very  busy  putting  together  a 
cage  for  his  thermometers,  planing  and  nailing  away  until 
far  on  in  the  evening]:. 

There  was  not  much  room  on  the  deck  of  the  Fram ; 
indeed,  there  was  scarcely  a  spot  that  was  not  cumbered 
with  deck  cargo  of  all  sorts.  Almost  the  whole  space  for- 
ward was  taken  up  with  the  supports  for  the  longboats, 
and  the  superstructures  over  the  hold,  to  say  nothing  of 
an  immense  number  of  odds  and  ends,  such  as  a  huge  pair 
of  bellows,  a  spare  crow's-nest,  a  great  tool-chest,  etc. 
But  aft  it  was  even  worse  —  w1-«at  with  a  stack  of  timber 
(planks,  beams,  etc.),  a  number  of  large  beer-barrels  (a 
steadily  diminishing  number,  it  must  be  admitted),  the 
huge  spare  rudder  and  spare  propeller,  several  parts  of  the 
great  windmill  for  generating  electricity  when  the  coal  is 
exhausted,  capacious  tanks  for  petroleum  and  gas  oil,  one 
of  the  boats,  and  finally,  under  the  bridge,  a  whole  jDile  of 
dried  fish  to  feed  the  dogs  who  were  to  be  taken  on  board 
at  Yugor  Strait. 

Around  the  wheel,  however,  was  a  small  open  space 
built  in  with  deck  cargo,  where  one  could   actually  put 


ON  /iO.lh'J)    Tllli   -FRAM" 


223 


one's  foot  on  the  deck  and  sit  cosily  sheltered  from  the 
wind.  This  was  the  favorite  evenint;'  rendezvous  of  those 
who  had  time  to  spare  for  a  smoke  and  a  chat. 

Here  we  sat  this  eveninii  in  the  twiliichl,  while  the 
Frani  buffeted  its  way  through  the  seas  under  the  XaAo- 
ten-Wall —  Hendriksen,  Cijertsen,  Jacobsen,  Christiansen 
(one  of  the  Greenland  party),  and  I.  The  })ipes  were  in 
full  blast  and  the  talk  in  full  swinir. 

Jacobsen  was  a  Ccij)ital  narrator,  when  you  could  work 
him  up  to  the  point,  which  was  not  every  day.  Me  had 
seen  a  tji-cat  deal  of  the  world  between  the  South  Pole 
and  the  North,  and  had  an  unusually  rich  stock  of  expe- 
riences to  draw  upon.  Whether  he  was  recounting  his 
adventures  among  the  Maories  of  New  Zealand  or  amonc: 
the  ice  Hoes  of  Nova  Zembla,  he  always  managed  to  put 
an  extraordinary  amount  of  life  into  the  situation,  and  to 
transport  his  hearers  into  the  thick  of  it.  This  evening 
he  was  telling  the  story  of  his  polar-bear  hunts,  with  one 
of  the  Bourbon  princes,  on  Spitzbergen,  and  he  graphi- 
cally depicted  for  us  all  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
polar  bear,  its  spirit  of  inquiry  and  its  clumsy  cunning.  I 
have  since  read  somewhere  that  at  parting  the  prince  pre- 
sented him  with  his  own  gold  watch  ;  of  that  he  said 
nothincj,  and  I  saw  nothin<>;  of  it  while  I  was  on  board  the 
Fram. 

Polar  bears  being  the  topic,  first  one  and  then  another 
contributed  something  of  his  own  experiences. 

"  How  many  bears  have  you  shot,  Hendriksen,  roughly 
speaking  }  "  asks  the  mate. 

Hendriksen  was  a  Balsfjord  man  ;  the  shape  of  his  fore- 
head, his  broad  cheek  bones,  and  the  whole  type  of  his 
physiognomy  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  had  Qua:n  blood 


1 


■I, 
'I  I 


'1  < 
\ 

I 

} 

•  i 
i 


•11 


I M 


{ 


234 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\ 


\ 


P 

s: 


I, 

'  I 


w- 


I 


1 

^        f 

1'i 

■   ' 

-: 

fJ^ 

in  his  veins.  Be  this  as  it  may,  he  was  a  good-natured 
and  genial  fellow,  and  one  who  could  put  his  shoulder  to 
the  wheel  to  some  purpose  when  strength  was  needed. 
I  le  had  now  sailed  the  Arctic  Sea  in  every  direction  for 
fourteen  consecutive  seasons,  ever  since  he  was  nineteen  ; 

during  all  these  years  he  had 
never  felt  the  heat  of  summer, 
until  he  had  come  south  for 
a  short  time  to  help  in  fitting 
out  the  Fram. 

I  le  was  not  a  man  of  many 
words,  but  it  was  easy  to  see 
that  he  was  by  no  means 
yearning  to  repeat  his  expe- 
rience of  the  summer  tem- 
perature. He  was  one  of 
those  members  of  the  crew 
who  i^referred  to  pass  the 
night  in  one  of  the  "  hotels  " 
on  deck,  either  in  the  Grand  Hotel  or  in  Gravesen's  —  so 
they  had  christened  the  two  longboats.  It  is  true  that 
these  b(3ats  were  deeply  padded  with  all  sorts  of  pack- 
ages of  furs,  so  that  you  could  no  doubt  make  yourself 
a  comfortable  enough  bed  among  them,  when  once  you 
had  wormed  your  way  down  through  the  layers  of  hand- 
sledges,  snow-shoes,  kaiaks,  and  other  Arctic  appliances 
which  were  piled  up  in  these  airy  hanging  hotels  a  la 
Semiramis. 

"  I  've  never  kept  count  of  them,"  answered  the  giant 
evasively. 

"  I  dare  say  you  may  put  it  at  fifty  at  least,"  said  the 
mate. 


lilall 


I.IKUT.    JOIIANSEN 

(Nanscn's  sole  companion  on  liis  sledge  exjif 

dilioii  ndcr  leaving  tlic  ''  !■  ram  ") 


ON  BOARD    THE   '' FKAM'' 


lant 


the 


"Oil  no!  perhaps  something  Hkc  forty  —  white  bears, 
I  mean,"  lie  added,  as  though  a  mere  wliite  bear  were 
scarcely  worth  si^eaking  about. 

"  Have  any  of  you  shot  brown  bears  then  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  Mogstad  has  killed  several,"  replied  the  mate. 
"  The  first  one,  he  had  another  man  to  help  him,  but  that 
was  when  he  was  only  sixteen,  hive  or  six  years  after- 
ward he  kept  a  bear  barricaded  in  his  lair  for  a  whole 
month,  and  then  let  him  out,  and  put  a  bullet  in  him  as 
he  ran.  Oh,  he  's  a  rare  hand  at  all  sorts  of  things,  is 
Mogstad — you  won't  easily  find  him  at  a  loss." 

"  But  Sverdrup  has  shot  brown  bears  too !  "  remarked 
Christiansen,  who  was  now  at  the  wheel  and  had  hitherto 
not  opened  his  mouth.  He  and  Sverdrup  were  both 
Bindal  men,  so  he  felt  he  must  stand  up  for  his  district; 
as  a  rule  it  was  not  easy  to  get  a  word  out  of  him.  He 
was  evidently  suffering  agonies  of  indecision  as  to 
whether  he  should  go  on  with  the  ship  or  not,  although 
he  had  declared  in  advance  that  he  would  iro  no  farther 
than  Tromso.  Not  that  the  Greenland  trip  liad  fright- 
ened him  off  —  it  was  other  hindrances  that  stood  in  his 
way. 

Sverdrup  had  now  relieved  the  pilot,  and  was  pacing 
backward  and  forward  on  the  bridge,  with  an  even,  slow 
step.  The  Fram  and  he  are  in  reality  not  unlike  each 
other ;  the  same  indescribable  air  of  solidity  and  security 
breathes  around  them  both.  E!ach  has  a  very  thick  outer 
hull,  but  within  all  is  snu'T  and  warm  and  sound.  Now 
and  again  he  stops  beside  Nansen,  and  watches  him  min- 
gling the  colors  on  his  paper,  but  as  a  rule  says  nothing 
and  resumes  his  walk,  casting  cjuick  searching  glances 
ahead  over  the  sea. 
15 


III 


I  , 


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m 


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226 


NAiVSJiN  JN  THE   FROZEN    WORLD 


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if 


Whoever  has  seen  Sverdrup  on  board  the  Fram  knows 
well  that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  The 
Pram  is  no  luxurious  pleasure-yacht,  nor  is  Sverdrup  a 
model  of  courtly  elegance  —  but  you  may  be  sure  that 

Afloat  "twixt  sky  and  sea, 
The  first  of  men  is  lie. 

About  the  wheel  the  talk  went  merril)-,  undisturbed  by 
wind  or  weather.  The  waves  kept  on  gurgling  up  into 
the  rudder  hole,  which,  besides  fulfilling  its  original  i)ur- 
pose,  served  as  a  gigantic  sj^ittoon.  Now  and  again  an 
extra  puff  of  wind  would  come,  and  the  rigging  would 
creak  as  the  sails  tightened  ;  while  the  throb  of  the  pis- 
tons in  the  engine-room  sujjplied  a  monotonous  accom- 
paniment. Behind  the  pile  of  planks  and  the  boat  which 
shut  us  off  from  the  bulwarks,  we  could  hear  Kvik,  the 
Greenland  dog,  snoring  and  growling  in  his  sleep,  keep- 
ing up  a  sort  of  murmur  of  contentment,  now  and  then 
interrupted  by  a  short  bark. 

"That  confounded  cur!"  said  die  mate.  "What  do  you 
think  he  's  done  to-day  .f*  Eaten  up  the  soles  of  a  pair  of 
bran  new  slippers  that  Amundsen  had  got  from  his  wife." 

Kvik  was  everybody's  favorite  on  board ;  but  he  had  an 
unfortunate  habit  of  devouring  whatever  he  came  across 
in  the  way  of  leather  or  skins,  without  the  smallest  re- 
spect of  persons.  Field-glass  straps  and  shoe-soles,  port- 
manteaus and  portfolios,  everything  that  was  made  of  an 
animal's  skin  was  for  him  a  dainty  scarcely  to  be  resisted, 
diough  he  knew  that  indulgence  would  be  followed  by  a 
beating.  After  all,  he  had  to  lay  in  strength  for  the 
voyage.  Young  as  he  was,  he  had  seen  more  of  the 
w^orld  than  most  dogs  or  men,  having  travelled  from  East 
Greenland   to   Copenhagen  with   the   Ryder   Expedition, 


ON  BOARD    THE   "  FKAM" 


2-'7 


then  from  Copenhai^cn  to  Lysaker;  and  now  he  was  on 
his  way  from  Lysaker  to  the  Polar  Sea. 

"  Amundsen  is  married,  is  he  ?  "   I  asked. 

"  Why,  of  course  lie  is !  He  's  the  most  married  of  the 
whole  lot  of  us.  He  has  a  wife  and  six  children.  It's 
a  wonder  he  can  leave  such  a  lot  at  home  for  so  long 
a  time." 

"  Has  he  been  north  before  }  " 

"  Yes,  he  was  out  sealing  with  the  Dia7ia  one  season, 
and  then  last  year  he  went  to  the  Yenisei  with  a  cargo 
from  Shields.  Oh  yes,  he  s  quite  at  home  in  the  high 
latitudes,  he  is." 

"  Juell,  the  steward,  is  he  married  too  .'^  " 

"  Why  of  course  he  is  —  married  and  has  children,"  said 
Gjertsen.  "  That  fine  figure  of  a  woman  you  saw  on 
board  on  the  way  from  Christiania  to  Morten,  \o\\  know 

—  that  's  his  wife.  She  s  been  a  lot  about  with  him,  too. 
A  few  years  ago  she  went  with  him  right  to  the  Gold 
Coast,  and  when  they  were  going  ashore,  Juell  thought  he 
should  never  see  his  wife  aoain  —  for  all  of  a  sudden  the 
boatmen,  the  niggers  you  know,  as  naked  as  my  hand, 
took  and  seized  her  in  their  arms  and  jumj^ed  into  the 
water  with  her.  Juell  believed  he  'd  seen  the  last  of  her; 
for  you  know,  she  's  uncommonly  plump  and  appetizing, 
and  he  thought  no  doubt  they  were  cannibals,  these 
fellows." 

"  Then  a  great  many  of  you  are  married  ?  "  I  said. 

"  Oh  yes,  we  've  almost  all  got  some  one  to  leave  be- 
hind," answered  Hendriksen.  "  Amundsen  heads  the  list, 
he  does,  for  he  has  five  or  six  children  ;  then  Nordal  has 
five,  Juell  and  I  have  four  apiece,  and  then — let  me  see 

—  Petterson  has  two  I  think,  and " 


'■^  I'll 


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NANSEN  IN  THE    FROZEN   WORLD 


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il 


"  And  Nanscn  and  I  have  one  apiece,"  added  the  mate. 

My  th.oughts  flew  back  to  little  Liv,  and  1  turned  my 
head  and  saw  him  still  sitting  up  there  upon  the  bridge, 
busy  with  his  painting,  as  though  he  had  never  in  his  life 
done  anything  else.  He  had  taken  off  his  ca])  in  order 
to  see  better,  and  was  shading  the  i)icture  with  his  arm 
or  looking  through  the  hollow  of  his  hand  to  get  a  con- 
centrated impression  of  the  color.  Mis  bust  stood  out 
boldly,  the  massive  head  with  the  short-clii)ped  hair  show- 
ing in  sharp  outline  against  the  indescribably  pure  and 
clear  colors  of  the  evening  sky.  Were  his  thoughts  bent 
on  his  distant  goal,  or  were  they  at  home  with  little  Liv 
in  her  cradle  1 

The  evening  air  began  to  grow  chill,  so  I  rose  to  go 
below  and  get  hold  of  my  greatcoat.  As  before  men- 
tioned, it  was  no  easy  matter  to  make  your  way  about  on 
the  deck  of  the  Fraiu ;  so  I  remarked  jokingly,  "  One 
would  need  cither  four  legs  or  a  pair  of  wings  to  get 
about  among  all  this  litter." 

"  You  should  do  as  Johansen  did,"  answered  the  mate. 
"  He  walked  on  his  hands  the  other  da)  up  the  steps  from 
the  fo'c'sle,  across  the  whole  of  the  forward  deck,  uj)  the 
steps  to  the  after  deck,  and  <;lown  the  companion  into  the 
cabin  :  and  I  'ni  bothered  if  he  was  even  red  in  the  face 
when  he  put  his  feet  down  again  upon  the  floor  of  the 
saloon." 

"  Oh,  that 's  nothing  for  Johansen,  he  's  the  first  gym- 
nast in  Norway,"  remarked  Gjertsen.  "  In  Paris,  he 
made  a  clean  somersault  over  forty-two  men,  so  that  the 
Frenchmen  thought  there  would  be  nothing  but  a  wet 
spot  left  when  he  came  down.  But  he  fell  on  his  feet, 
as  right  as  possible.     He  got  a  gold  medal  for  that,  too  !  " 


■'  'I 


ON  HOARD    THE   "  FRAM 


229 


.-et 

late. 

trom 

the 

the 

face 
the 

rym- 

S  he 
the 
wet 

feet, 

o  ! 


"Amundsen  is  not  bad  at  that  sort  of  thing,  either,  you 
know.  What  do  you  think  he  did  the  otlier  day  down  at 
Rorvik,  while  we  were  loading  all  that  beastly  coal  ?  I  Ic 
was  up  in  the  main-top  and  wanted  to  come  down  to  the 
deck,  forward.  Confound  me  if  he  did  n't  slide  down  the 
stay  from  the  main-top  to  the  fore-top,  holding  on  by  his 
hands  alone  all  the  way !  There  is  n't  another  man  on 
board  could  have  done  it ;  but  Amundsen's  fists  are  as 
hard  as  shoe  leather,  and  no  mistake.  And  then,  of 
course,  he  's  a  bit  lighter  than  I  am,  for  example,"  said 
Gjertsen. 

I,  unable  to  emulate  either  of  these  feats,  made  my  way 
as  well  as  I  could  over  the  obstacles  that  bestrewed  the 
after  deck,  past  the  chart-room,  in  the  oj^en  doorway  of 
which  several  powder-casks  were  piled  up  drying,  and 
down  the  cabin  companion  —  a  journey  which,  if  it  did 
not  require  a  gymnast  of  the  first  rank,  was  certainly  not 
to  be  recommended  to  a  gouty  subject  or  a  fat  man. 

The  cabin  steps  went  right  past  the  galley,  where  Juell 
was  at  that  moment  deep  in  his  culinary  occupations. 
A  tempting  smell  of  cooking  greeted  my  nostrils,  and  I 
looked  in  for  a  moment  to  warm  myself  a  little  and  have 
a  chat. 

Juell  stood  in  his  shirt-sleeves  busy  at  his  work,  the 
perspiration  pouring  down  his  high  forehead,  and  his  heavy 
mustaches  drooping  like  a  bridle  from  the  corners  of  his 
mouth. 

"  Nice  and  warm  here,  Juell,"  said  I. 

"  Warm  !  I  should  think  it  was  !  When  all  the  pots  are 
boiling  for  dinner  I  believe  the  devil  himself  would  singe 
his  nose  if  he  poked  it  in  here.  It 's  the  hardest  job  I  've 
ever  had   in  my  life.     I  've  made  many  a  voyage  in  my 


!      I 


'    I 


'    ( 


'1    I 


,   * 


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NANSEX  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


r  % 


f  v\ 


day,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  've  sliipi)ccl  as  cook,  and  if 
I  come  safe  and  sound  hack  attain,  it  shall  he  the  last 
time  !  Take  my  advice,  Professor,  and  never  be  a  cook, 
whatever  you  are." 

"  No,  no,  Juell  —  \vc  can't  all  be  tailors,  you  know.     I 

don't  suppose  I  'm  in 
much  dant;er  of  re- 
ceiving an  aj)])oint- 
ment  as  chef.  But 
when  you  come  home 
again,  Juell,  I  hope  I 
shall  be  able  to  give 
yo  '  a  dinner  and  say 
tak  for  sidst}  and 
thank  you  for  all 
the  good  dinners  on 
board  the  Fram.'' 

"  Thanks    for    the 

invitation,"  answered 

Juell.     "  But  it  won't  be  for  some  time  yet,  I  'm  afraid.     If 

only  Peik  here  will  hold  out  till  we  come  back,  I  dare  say 

it  won't  be  such  a  bad  trip  after  all." 

"  Peik  "  was  the  popular  name  for  an  insulated  cooking- 
apparatus,  of  Finne's  invention,  a  great  contrivance  which 
held  the  warmth  very  long.  Nansen  took  a  lively  interest 
in  it,  and  several  times,  while  I  was  on  board,  assisted  at 
the  cooking  of  the  dinner,  in  order  to  familiarize  himself 
with  the  working  of  Peik.  And  Peik  cooked  many  excel- 
lent things.  The  fare  on  board  the  Fram,  in  spite  of  Juell's 
apologies  for  his  deficiencies  as  a  culinary  artist,  was  really 
capital  and  not  at  all  monotonous.     The  menu  generally 

*  "  Thanks  for  our  last  meeting  "  —  a  common  form  of  salutation. 


Kl  rciIKN    OV    WW.    '•  IK'AM 


ON  HOARD    THIi   '' IRAM" 


a3i 


consisted  of  soup  or  fish,  and  a  dish  of  meat,  with  half  a 
bottle  of  beer  a  head,  so  long  as  the  beer  lasted.  I  re- 
nieniber,  for  instance,  tiiat  the  first  dinner  I  ate  on  board 
consisted  of  tinned  fish-i)uddin<;s  from  Stavanger,  tinned 
rabbit  from  Australia,  and  wild  ducks  whicli  Nansen  had 
shot  on  the  way.  A  great  variety  of  (ierman  preserved 
vegetables  were  used  in  the  soups,  and  American  cran- 
berry jam  was  often  served  with  the  meat.  The  provision- 
ing of  the  ship,  like  all  the  rest  of  its  equipment,  was  most 
carefully  thought  out  in  all  its  details.  There  was  a  j)ar- 
ticularly  large  sujjply  of  vegetables  and  of  fatty  matter, 
so  that,  so  long  as  it  stuck  to  the  Fram,  the  expedition 
should  not  suffer  from  "  fat-hunger,"  as  the  Greenland 
explorers  had  sulYered.  There  were  no  less  than  13,000 
lbs.  of  butter  on  board,  one  third  of  it  the  best  Danish 
butter,  and  the  rest  superfine  margarine,  a  present  from 
Pellerin  &  Co.  While  I  was  on  board  we  ate  nothins:  but 
this  margarine  ;  it  was  of  such  excellent  quality  that  I  do 
not  think  any  one  would  have  taken  it  for  artificial  butter, 
unless  he  had  been  told. 

On  the  whole,  the  ship  was  lavishly  provisioned  ;  you 
could  scarcely  name  a  thing  that  was  not  in  su  ck,  and 
generally  in  considerable  quantities.  One  thing,  however, 
was  entirely  absent,  and  that  was  alcohol — for  drink- 
ing, that  is  to  say.  The  spirits  for  preserving  "  speci- 
mens "  would  scarcely  come  under  the  heading  of  com- 
missariat. 

A  passing  steamer  in  Trondhjem  Fjord  had  thrown  us  a 
bottle  of  port  wine,  bidding  us  drink  it  at  the  North  Pole. 
This  was  —  with  the  exception  of  the  beer,  which  was 
calculated  to  last  for  a  couple  of  months  —  all  the  drink- 
able alcohol  on  board.     "  You  must  lay  in  one  or  two 


F 


232 


A'AXSEN  /X  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


, 


4 


f  '  * 


1:1 
I 

f 
t 


X     ,1 


bottles  of  cliampamK'  in  Troniso,  Nanscn,"  I  said  one  clay 
in  a  joke,  "  to  drink  a  shaal  for  Gamle  Nor<^e,  when  you 
hoist  your  fla^"  on  the  axis  of  the  earth."  "  I  was  think- 
in<^  of  snuigj^ling  on  board  one  or  two  bottles  of  brandy 
for  Christmas  live,"  he  answered;  "but  you  need  n't  speak 
about  it  to  the  men."  The  doctor  afterwards  swore  mc 
to  secrecy,  and  told  me  that  he,  too,  intended  to  smu<;gle 
a  bottle  or  so  on  board  at  Tromso. 

I  can  sec  in  my  mind's  eye  the  saloon  on  Christmas 
Eve,  with  the  steaming  toddy  on  the  table.  If  I  know 
Nansen  aright,  the  dose  for  each  man  will  be  of  the 
honid'opathic  order.  How  clearly  it  stands  forth  in  my 
memory,  that  cosey  little  low-roofed  cabin,  with  the  small 
state-rooms  around  it ! 

"  Saloon  "  is  a  misleading  word  to  use.  The  Frams 
saloon  was  little  more  than  a  cot.  But  the  thought  of  the 
hiufh  endeavor  to  which  it  was  dedicated  made  it  seem 
loftier  and  more  spacious  than  the  most  majestic  hall.  In 
itself,  too,  it  was  a  cosey  little  retreat,  exceedingly  pleasant 
to  creep  down  into  when  it  was  too  raw  and  cold  and  wet 
to  remain  on  deck. 

On  the  front  wall  of  the  saloon,  between  the  two 
entrance  doors,  was  placed  a  long  sofa  with  high  end- 
posts  carved  into  dragons'  heads.  It  was  covered  with  a 
heavy  rug  of  bright  Norwegian  colors.  In  front  of  it 
stood  the  long  narrow  dining-table ;  by  making  ourselves 
as  small  as  possible,  we  could  all  (except  those  on  watch) 
sit  down  to  it  at  once.  The  table-service  was  the  same 
for  all  dishes  ;  an  enamelled  tin  plate  and  a  big  enamelled 
cup. 

Over  the  middle  of  the  sofa  hung,  in  a  frame,  an  ad- 


ON  JIO.IKD    THE   ''  J'RAM' 


m 


niinibly  i)aintccl  design  for  tapestry,  by  (ierhard  Muiithe, 
rejiresentiiiii;  three  fairy-tale  princesses  surj)rise(l  l)\-  three 
I)rinces  transformed  into  bears.  To  the  left  of  this  little 
masterpiece  hunjjj  a  woodland  scene  by  I'^ilit  l*eterssen, 
and  on  the  ri-^ht  a  delicate  sketch  in  colored  chalks  by 
Skredsvig,   representing    the   point   and   landing-stage  at 


^-  .?• 


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Lme 
illed 

ad- 


Nanscn's  home  at   Lysaker,  with,  under  it,  a  study  from 
Ja,'dercn  by  Kitty  Kielland. 

Against  the  riijht  hand  wall  stood  an  harmonium  made 
by  Nystrom  &  Co.,  of  Karlstad.  It  was  arranged  so  that 
it  could  be  played  either  by  means  of  the  keys  like  a 
piano,  or  with  a  handle,  like  a  barrel-organ,  the  tune  being 
determined  by  a  strip  of  perforated  paper.  Its  repertory 
consisted  of  over  a  hundred  pieces,  from  the  minuet  in 
Don  Giovanni  and  airs  from  Dcr  Frcischutz,  down  to  the 
commonest  dance  tunes.  As  an  institution,  however,  it 
did  not  seem  to  be  particularly  popular ;  at  any  rate  there 
was  a  unanimous  movement  on  board  for  buying  a  con- 
certina in  Tromso,  and  great  expectations  were  abroad  as 


i 


It 


I, 


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i'. 
1 

234 


NANSEN  IN  THE  EKOZEN  WORLD 


to  what  Mogstad  would  do  with  his  violin  when  he  joined 
the  ship. 

Over  the  harmonium  hung  a  picture  by  llansteen,  and 
between  the  door  of  Scott  Hansen's  comfortable  and  taste- 
fully arranged  cabin  and  the  back  wall  of  *'  >  saloon  hung 
a  little  woodland  sketch,  also  by  Ilansteei  Jiile  over  the 
stove  (a  petroleum  pipe-stove  made  by  niunck.  whicli 
served  at  the  same  time  as  a  ventilating  ajiparatus),  in  the 
middle  of  the  back  wall,  hung  a  third  painting,  a  study  of 
birch-stems,  by  the  same  artist. 

On  the  left  wall,  between  the  entrance  to  Dr.  Hlessing's 
and  Sverdrui)'s  cabins,  was  fixed  a  stand  with  seven  Krag- 
Jorgensen  carbines.  These,  however,  were  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  ship's  armament,  which  consisted  in  all  of 
no  fewer  than  thirty-two  rifles  and  twent^'-four  revolvers, 
all  of  the  best  quality,  to  say  nothing  of  ^  cannons,  and 
a  great  store  of  ammunition. 

Above  the  stand  of  guns  hung  another  charming  pic- 
ture by  Skredsvig  —  the  fir-trees  in  front  of  Nansen's 
house,  a  winter  landscape  with  snow. 

A  little  way  from  the  table,  the  great  mast  divided  the 
saloon  into  two  parts.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  quite  nar- 
row upholstered  seat,  which,  however,  was  seldom  used. 
Loose  stools  were  scattered  about  the  cabin. 

Light  was  supplied  at  night  by  several  incandescent 
electric  lamps  over  the  sofa.  The  great  arc  lamp  was  not 
used  while  I  was  on  board. 

One  other  detail  must  not  be  omitted :  the  Norwegian 
lion  on  a  red  background  in  the  skylight  over  the  stove. 

Such  w^as  the  saloon  of  the  Fram.  The  roof  was  so  low 
that  Gjertsen,  Hendriksen,  and  Juell  could  touch  it  with 
their  hats,  and  so  narrow  that  at  scarcely  any  part  of  it 


ON  noAKP  tiH'.  '^ i-kam'' 


335 


could  two  couples  pass  cacli  other  without  turniug  side- 
ways. 

1  low  every  httic  detail  between  these  low  walls  has  fixed 
itself  in  my  memory,  from  the  half-frii^htened,  half-curious 
expression  on  the  faces  of  Munthe's  princesses,  to  the 
check  rui^  on  the  sofa  seat,  which,  however,  Nan^en  used  to 
turn  wront;  side  up  every  day,  for  he  found  that  the  many 
jiairs  of  coal-dusty  and  tarry  trousers  left  too  obvious  traces 
on  the  pattern,  and  were  already  bcL^inning  to  soften  the 
gay  colors  rather  too  much.  "  It  s  got  to  last  till  we  come 
back  again,"  said  Nansen,  "  so  we  must  be  si)aring  of  our 
splendors." 

In  the  saloon  I  found  the  su])per-table  still  s|)read,  al- 
though it  was  already  pretty  late.  The  engineers  who 
had  been  on  duty  had  come  up  to  have  supjier  and  draw 
a  breath  of  fresh  air,  which  they  had  well  earned  ;  for  the 
stoke-hole  of  the  Fram,  a  paradise  no  doubt  in  the  polar 
winter  so  long  as  the  coal  lasts,  must  in  these  more  south- 
erly latitudes  and  in  summer  b.av^  seemed  very  much  the 
reverse. 

There  they  sat,  then,  the  two  athletes  aforesaid,  Engi- 
neer Amundsen  and  Lieutenant  and  Stoker  Johansen, 
enjoying  their  rest  and  their  supper.  Presently  in  came 
Scott  Hansen  and  Dr.  Blessing,  and  we  got  a  warm  cup 
of  tea  from  the  steward  and  attacked  the  supper  manfully 
—  I,  indeed,  for  the  second  time. 

I  knew  that  I  should  probably  eat  only  one  more  supper 
on  board  the  Fram,  and  recollections  streamed  in  upon 
me  of  my  days  on  board,  which  had  passed  so  quickly, 
along  with  many  a  thought  of  the  days  that  were  as  yet 
hidden  in  the  mists  of  the  future.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
supper  and  the  talk  went  on  as  usual,  Juell  going  back- 


I 


II   I 


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11 


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236 


JV^JVS£JV  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


ward  and  forward  and  assisting  in  both.  The  talk  ran 
on  all  sorts  of  topics,  but  of  course  chiefly  on  the  J'ram 
and  everything  connected  with  her.  Now  the  petroleum 
launch  was  the  theme  —  one  held  that  it  was  a  wretched 
affair  altogether,  that  it  was  quite  impossible  to  keep  it 
clean,  and  that  after  you  had  used  it  once,  it  took  half  a 
day  to  make  it  fit  for  use  again,  while  another  defended 
it  and  maintained  that,  with  its  great  spe,  d,  it  would  be 
invaluable  for  reconnaissances,  etc.  Then  some  one  de- 
scribed what  a  sharp  look-out  you  had  to  keep  among  the 
open  lanes  in  the  ice,  how  it  felt  to  get  into  an  Arctic  fog, 
and  so  forth. 

I  was  to  take  no  part  in  all  this,  so  felt  myself  rather 
outside  the  conversation.  I  turned  to  the  doctor  and 
said,  "  Tak  foi'  maden}  doctor.  It  will  probably  be  a  long 
time  before  you  and  I  have  supper  together  again  on 
board  the  Frani^ 

"  Two  summers,  I  expect,"  said  the  doctor,  with  his 
usual  cheery  confidence. 

"  If  you  have  good  luck,  perhaps  you  '11  be  back  next 
autumn,"  said  I. 

"  That  would  be  the  devil's  own  luck,"  was  the  answer. 

"  No  luck  at  all,"  Amundsen  put  in.  "  If  anything 
worth  while  is  to  come  of  the  trip,  we  must  be  away  two 
years  at  the  very  least." 

A  hearty  burst  of  laughter  greeted  Amundsen's  frank 
prognostication.  His  view  of  the  matter  was  undeniably 
both  a  stoical  and  a  practical  one. 

After  supper  I  went  into  my  cabin  to  rest  a  little  and 
get  out  my  overcoat  before  going  on  deck  again.  Nan- 
sen   had  given   up    his   ow^n    cabin  to   me,   and   slept  in 

^  "  Thanks  for  the  food  !  "  —  a  formula  always  used  at  the  end  of  a  meal. 


ON  BOARD    THE    '' FRAM'' 


=37 


the  deck-house  while  I  was  on  board.  Tlie  door  to  liis 
cabin  was  on  tlie  right,  well  forward  in  the  saloon,  and, 
like  all  the  doors  in  the  Fram,  was  immensely  solid,  with 
a  high  thresh(jld.  None  of  the  cabins  had  any  sort  of 
window  (the  sides  of  the  shij)  were  twenty-four  inches 
thick),  and  when  the  door  was  closed  the  only  means  of 
ventilation  was  a  couple  of  snuJl  holes  in  the  door  itself. 
It  was  of  course  pitch  dark,  too,  unless  the  incandescent 
lamps,  with  which  each  cabin  was  provided,  were  lighted. 
When  you  entered  the  cabin  and  turned  the  knob  for 


i 


I  ■ 


NANSEN'S    STIDY    ON    THE    "  FRA.M." 

the  electric  light,  the  first  dv'ng  it  shone  upon  was  an  ad- 
mirable drawing  by  Werenskjold  :  "  Eva  with  little  Liv  in 
her  lap."  Thus  all  that  was  dearest  in  the  world  con- 
fronted him  the  moment  he  put  his  head  in  at  the  cabjn 
door.  I  well  remember  one  morning  when  he  came  to 
fetch  something  before  I  had  got  up.  He  turned  the  but- 
ton while  still  in  the  doorway  and  began  to  chat  with  me  ; 


U      I 


iiiil 


I     • 


11 


I] 


l*« 


238 


JVAA'SEJV  IN  THE  FROZE  A'  WORLD 


but  I  saw  where  his  eyes  fell,  and  where  his  thoughts 
were. 

Under  the  pieture  was  a  bench,  a  sofa  by  day,  a  bed  by 
night.  Here  were  no  soft  spring  mattresses,  only  a  stuffed 
pallet  with  a  pair  of  warm  blankets  and  a  single  very 
meagre  pillow.  But  how  sound  one  could  sleep  on  this 
simple  couch  —  that  is  to  say,  when  the  Fravi  was  not 
rolling  so  as  to  land  one  on  the  floor  every  now  and  then. 

For  the  Fram  could  roll,  at  any  rate  before  the  cargo 
was  shifted  in  the  Nairosund. 

Scott  Hansen  declared  that  she  had  described  an  angle 
of  forty-six  degrees  in  a  heavy  sea  off  Lister.  It  must 
liave  been  an  uncomfortable  night ;  the  ^\hole  forward 
deck  was  deep  in  water,  i-o  that  the  deck  cargo  was  wash- 
ing about  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  at  last  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  throw  overboard  a  number  of  parafifin 
barrels.  Fortunately  they  were  only  empty  barrels  in- 
tended for  preser\'ing  the  skins  of  bears,  seals,  walruses, 
and  other  game ;  and  there  were  plenty  of  them  left. 
Even  while  I  was  on  board  the  Fram,  she  rolled  a  good 
deal  one  night,  although  it  was  not  blowing  particularly- 
hard,  and  the  sea  did  not  run  very  high  —  indeed,  there 
was  only  a  long  swell.  In  crossing  the  Vestfjord,  on  the 
other  hand,  when  it  was  blowing  quite  fresh,  the  ship  was 
as  steady  as  a  rock  the  moment  she  w^as  under  full  sail. 
She  was,  indeed,  a  strange,  a  uniciue  vessel.  Sverdrup, 
who,  as  a  rule,  said  little  enough,  could  not  help  now  and 
then  giving  expression  to  his  affectionate  surprise  in  a 
subdued  "  She  's  a  rare  little  craft,  and  no  mistake  ! " 

But  to  return  to  Nansen's  cabin.  On  one  side  of  the 
end  wall  was  a  cupboard  containing  the  cash-box,  papers, 
diaries,  etc.,  the  key  of  which  was  in  Nansen's  own  keep- 


\\  11 


ON  BOARD   THE   ''  FRAM' 


239 


ing ;  on  the  other  side,  near  the  head  of  the  bed  or  sofa, 
was  a  bookcase  with  a  rich  selection  of  Hterature  of  many 
kinds.  Numbers  of  books  had  been  presented  to  the 
Fram  by  Norwegian,  Swedish,  and  Danish  j^ubHshers  and 
others.  The  tolerably  extensive  library  thus  formed  was 
always  at  the  disposal  of  the  crew.  Besides,  the  dt)ctor 
had  his  own  medical  library  in  his  cabin,  and  Scott 
Hansen  kept  a  collection  of  books,  mainly  meteorological 
and  astronomical,  alonii:  \vith  the  charts  in  the  chart-room. 
But  Nansen  had  picked  out  for  his  own  use  a  number  of 
books  which  he  kept  in  his  cabin.  They  were  for  the 
most  j^art,  of  course,  geographical,  geological,  zoological, 
and  other  scientific  works,  but  with  a  fair  sprinkling  of 
imaginative  literature  and  philosophy.  Ibsen  and  Bjorn- 
son,  Vinje,  Jonas  Lie,  Runeberg,  and  others  were  repre- 
sented, some  of  them  by  their  complete  works ;  and  here 
too  were  Tennyson,  Keats,  Byron,  Frauenstedt's  Schopen- 
hauer, etc.  —  in  short,  an  ample  stock  of  reading  even  for 
the  long  night  of  the  polar  winter. 

When  I  entered  on  my  short  occupation  of  the  cabin, 
the  greater  part  of  these  books  lay  in  a  chaos  on  the  floor, 
along  with  all  sorts  of  other  things ;  so  I  took  it  upon  my- 
self to  arrange  them  according  to  subjects  in  the  bookcase, 
and  I  made  free  use  of  this  library  while  I  was  on  board. 
This  evening,  for  instance,  when  I  lay  down  on  the  sofa 
after  supper,  I  oj^ened  the  first  book  that  came  to  hand, 
and  found  it  to  be  Nansen's  "  How  can  the  North  Polar 
Region  be  Crossed  }  "  —  containing  his  lecture  before  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  all  the  objections  of  the 
celebrated  F2nglish  sailors.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had 
seen  it.  It  made  a  peculiar  and  moving  impression  upon 
me  as  I  read  it  here  in  Nansen's  own  cabin. 


m 


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240 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


Wlien  I  had  done,  I  felt  I  must  go  up  and  sec  liim. 
Until  that  moment  1  had  not  quite  grasped  and  realized 
the  significance  of  his  enterprise.  He  himself  was  always 
so  easy  and  unpretending,  and  on  board  the  Fram  every- 
thing took  its  daily  course  with  such  a  total  absence  of 
solemnity,  that  I  had,  as  it  were,  lost  the  sensation  of 
there  being  anything  unusual  in  this  voyage.  To  cross 
Greenland,  to  start  for  the  North  Pole,  to  go  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  seemed  no  more  to  these  men  than  a  trip 
down  Christiania  Fjord  to  the  ordinary  mortal. 

I  could  hear  Juell's  quick  tongue,  in  the  saloon,  supply- 
ing a  running  commentary  to  one  of  the  doctor's  stories ; 
on  the  deck  some  one  was  rumbling  a  beer-barrel  along; 
the  piston  kept  up  its  regular  throb,  and  the  propeller  its 
vibration,  while  the  Fram  clove  its  way  foot  by  foot 
through  the  sea,  slowl)-  but  surely  —  as  though  driven  by 
some  natural  law  ever  onward  and  onward  toward  the 
unknown  t>oal. 

Nansen  had  lent  me  a  camel's-fur  jacket  while  I  was  on 
board;  it  was  so  cosey  and  warm  that  it  seemed  to  put  my 
skin  into  a  positive  glow  when  I  had  it  on.  Thank 
Heaven,  I  thought,  he  need  certainly  neither  starve  nor 
freeze  so  lonij  as  the  Fram  holds  tof 'ether. 

But  if  the  Fram  should  be  crushed,  as  one  of  the  Eng- 
lish admirals  prophesied  ? 

"  Then  we  '11  take  to  our  longboat,"  Nansen  had 
answered. 

"  The  boats  are  too  big  and  heavy,"  another  admiral 
had  objected. 

"  We  have  five  or  six  smaller  boats  with  us,"  was  Nan- 
sen's  reply,  "  and  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  we  '11 
get  along  on  an  ice  floe ;   I  've  done  it  before." 


li'.i 


ON  BOARD   THE  'FRAM" 


241 


11 


Yes,  I  felt  I  must  see  him  and  express  my  affection 
for  him  in  the  little  time  we  could  still  be  together.  Up 
the  companion,  past  the  steaming  galley,  out  into  the  free 
air  of  heaven  ! 

There  the  Fram  lay,  heaving  gently  in  the  full  glory  of 
the  summer  night.  We  had  at  last  drawn  near  the  peaks 
of  Hammero,  so  that  we  could  see  their  green-clad  base. 
Before  us  stretched  all  the  moui: tains  of  the  mainland, 
those  nearest  bathed  in  a  splendid  purple  glow,  while  far- 
ther ahead  they  passed  through  all  gradations  of  subdued 
color  from  tender  violet  to  deep  gray,  right  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  crisp  blue-black  sea. 

It  was  strangely  still.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen  on 
the  deck,  forward,  and  when  I  looked  aft,  to  the  south- 
ward, I  saw  nothing  but  sky  and  sea.  The  solemn  silence 
of  the  summer  night  took  such  hold  on  my  mind  that 
I  remained  leaning  on  the  bulwarks  for  a  long  time, 
watching  the  plash  of  the  waves  against  the  ship's  side, 
before  I  went  up  to  him. 

There  suddenly  flashed  upon  me  the  recollection  of  a  lit- 
tle ragged  urchin  whom  I  had  seen  a  few  days  before  on  the 
beach  near  Trondhjem  while  I  was  waiting  for  the  Fram. 
He  was  going  barefoot  in  the  sand,  dirty  and  unkempt, 
but  beaming  with  health  and  contentment,  and  singing  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Jeg  gaar  i  fare,  hvor  jeg  gaar  !  "  ^ 

Then  the  thought  of  my  own  confirmation  came  upon 
me,  when  I  sat  in  the  church  and  shouted  with  all  the 
rest,  "  Jeg  gaar  i  fare,  hvor  jeg  gaar !  "  and  heard  the 
mighty  organ-harmonies  throbbing  under  the  vaulted  roof 
as  though  they  indeed  represented  the  wrath  of  the  Lord. 

*  "  I  go  in  danger  wherever  I  go  ''  —  the  first  line  of  a  hymn. 
16 


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242 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Some  one  came  along  the  deck  wliistling  a  merry  tune; 
it  was  the  light-liearted  Petterson,  stripped  to  tlie  waist  in 
the  chill  evening  wind,  carrying  a  basin  and  a  towel  and 
preparing  to  wash  the  grime  of  the  engine-room  off  his 
face  and  body.  He  had  been  in  the  Polar  Sea  before,  on 
board  the  Ilcrtha,  so  that  he  was  at  home  in  these  waters. 
What  a  splendidly  modelled  back!  How  fine  the  play  of 
the  muscles  in  his  arms!  Yes,  indeed,  such  frames  as 
this  seemed  built  for  a  tussle  with  the  darkness  and  the 
fog  and  the  cold  and  the  ice.  His  whole  jjersonality  was 
set  to  a  very  different  air  from  that  whicli  was  running  in 
my  head.     Every  line  of  it  seemed  to  sing  :  — 

"  \'itr  glad  naar  farcn  vcicr 
livur  cvnc,  som  du  cicr !  "  ^ 

and  from  all  his  con"  rades  around,  from  the  man  who 
stood  at  the  helm,  from  those  who  were  stoking  the 
furnace,  from  all  who  now  lay  slee])ing  in  their  bunks, 
it  seemed  as  thou'jfh  the  third  line  came  chiminc:  in  tri- 
umphantly :  — 


"  Og  desto  storrc  suicr  ! "'  - 


I  could  delay  no  longer,  I  must  go  up  to  Nansen.  I 
clambered  over  boxes  and  boards,  wornied  my  way  be- 
tween barrels  and  stacks  of  dried  fish,  and  finally,  in 
spite  of  all  obstacles,  managed  to  haul  myself  up  on  the 
bridc^e. 

There  he  still  sat  in  his  thin  silk  waterproof,  as  he  had 
sat  hour  after  hour,  defying  the  wind.  When  he  saw  me 
he  rose  and  nodded,  and  said,  as  thougli  apologizing  for 
having  been  so  absorbed  in  his  painting :  — 

"  I  've   just   finished  !  "      And    then,    without   a   pause, 

*  "  Rejoice  when  danger  puts  to  the  test  every  faculty  you  possess." 
2  "  And  so  much  greater  the  victory." 


ON  BOARD    Tirii   '' J'A'AM" 


243 


m 


or 


se, 


"  Have  you  ever  seen  such  a  lovely  evening  ?  We  re 
lucky  in  our  weather,  and  no  mistake." 

"It's  a  beautiful  country,  this  of  ours,"  I  said.  "You 
must  make  haste  and  come  home,  and  have  a  better  look 
at  it!  —  And  now  let  me  -^ee  your  works  oi  art." 

"I  have  a  whole  bundle  here,"  he  answered.  "You 
shall  have  the  lot  of  them  to  take  to  Eva." 

Ah,  yes  —  that  was  why  he  had  been  so  busy. 

"  I  've  been  down  below,  readiniij,"  I  went  on,  "  and  I  got 
hold  of  that  English  i)am|)hlet  of  yours  with  the  plan  of 
your  expedition.  You  did  n't  get  much  encouragement 
out  of  them,  in  London." 

"Oh,  they  didn't  treat  me  at  all  badly  —  and  there 
was  n't  really  anything  to  discourage  one  in  what  they 
said.  It  was  just  the  same  when  I  was  starting  for  Green- 
land, you  know;  and  that,  to  my  mind,  was  really  a  more 
ticklish  business  than  this.  Mere,  thank  goodness,  we  've 
got  everything  we  can  possibly  want,  and  I  hope  we  shall 
neither  starve  nor  freeze."  He  looked  in  my  face  with  a 
frank  smile  and  said  slowly  and  emphatically :  "  Boasting 
apart,  no  ship  has  ever  been  equipped  for  an  Arctic  voy- 
age as  this  one  is." 

Then  he  bundled  up  his  painting  things,  and  we  went 
below. 

Two  days  later,  on  the  evening  of  July  12,  wc  parted 
at  Tromso.  It  had  rained  and  snowed  alternately  all  day 
long,  and  from  the  top  of  Tromsdal  Peak,  right  down  to 
the  gardens  along  the  fjord,  an  inch-thick  sheet  of  new- 
fallen  snow  lay  over  the  green  leaves  and  the  fresh  grass. 
An  icy  north  wind  was  blow'ing,  so  that  the  fjord  seemed 
to  reek  beneath  it,  and  you  could  see  the  squalls  sweeping 
over  the  water. 


X 


''    i 

11 


1    i. 


244 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


Nanscn  and  I  had  been  afoot  all  day  making  purchases. 
Moreover,  we  had  been  studying  geology  in  Tromso  Mu- 
seum, had  had  a  glass  of  wine  at  Mack's,  and  had,  for  the 
rest,  put  in  our  time  usefully  and  agreeably. 

I  had  been  aboard  the  Fram  in  the  afternoon  to  say 


.    ( 


i  i! 


i: 


\ 

\< 

(*'■ 

13 

^ 

'''^■"  f^'^^i^ 

A 

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^^Hph' 

3 

iPl 

COLIN    ARCHER,    THK    KUII.DF.K    OK   THE    "  KRAM  " 

good-by,  and  had  poked  my  nose  into  every  hole  and 
corner  to  fix  my  impressions  firmly  in  my  memory.  On 
board  I  found  Mogstad,  who  had  now  joined  the  ship,  and 
was  to  replace  Gjertsen  and  Christiansen.  He  impressed 
me  as  a  fine,  active,  fearless  fellow,  and  was  doubtless  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  crew. 


i 


V     '     '' 


OjY  hoard    the   '' FRAM" 


245 


m 


While  I  was  busy  |)ackinuj  my  portmanteau,  Nansen 
came  down  with  the  water-colors  and  pastels,  the  products 
of  the  northward  voyage,  wliich  I  had  jiromised  to  take 
to  his  wife.  He  had  placed  them  within  the  leaves  of 
Nordenskjold's  great  facsimile  atlas,  and  remarked  as  he 
gave  me  the  jxarcel  :  "  You  'd  better  take  Nordenskjcild's 
book  with  you  ;  it 's  so  costly  and  valuable,  it  would  be  a 
great  pity  to  lose  it  if  the  luck  should  go  against  us,  and 
we  should  have  to  leave  the  Fram  behind." 

He  said  this  with  as  much  nonchalance  as  if  he  had 
been  speaking  of  leaving  behind  an  old  overcoat,  or  a 
worn-out  pair  of  boots. 

"  You  must  see  and  bring  the  Fraiii  home  with  you,"  I 
said. 

"  Oh,  you  may  be  sure  we  won't  leave  the  vessel  until 
we  can't  do  anything  else  ;  but  of  course  the  ice  might  be 
so  bad  that  we  could  n't  get  her  through,  and  then  it  would 
be  annoying  to  have  to  lose  more  than  necessary." 

That  evening  Nansen  and  Sverdrup  accompanied  me 
on  board  the  Vcstcraalen,  and  had  a  glass  of  hot  toddy  by 
way  of  stirrup  cup. 

A  last  hearty  embrace,  and  good-by.  "  My  love  to  your 
wife !  And  be  sure  and  give  my  love  to  Eva  and  Liv  and 
all  at  home  !  " 

"  Promise  me  you  '11  take  care  of  yourself,  and  not  be 
too  reckless  —  and  a  safe  return  to  both  you  and  the 
Fram  !     And  God  bless  you,  my  dear  friend  !  " 

The  steamer's  bell  rinu:s  for  the  last  time.  At  midni<rht 
precisely  the  Vcsteraale^i  starts  for  the  south.  I  see  Nan- 
sen and  Sverdrup  standing  erect,  side  by  side,  in  the  stern 
boat  of  the  Fram.  For  a  moment  more  I  can  distinguish 
Nansen's  light  waterproof;  then  the  two  figures  seem  to 


I 


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246 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


melt  into  one  bcliind  the  veil  of  snow,  thick  as  in  mid- 
winter, which    is   sweeping  over   the    sound.      One   last 
glimpse  of  the  Fram  through  the  mist,  and  all  is  over. 
When  shall  I  see  him  again  ? 


in 


Till'.   "IKAM"    I.KAVING    ItKKCKN,    NORWAY,    KOR   THE   ARCTIC    REC.IONS 


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cii;\i''ii:r  XIII 


INTKODUCTION 


As  soon  as  ever  I  bejjjan  to  think  about  Arctic  enterprise 
it  struck  me  that  the  ways  in  which  atteni|)ts  had  iiitherto 
been  made  to  penetrate  into  the  mysteries  of  the  pohir 
regions  were  hardly  the  best.  It  was  clear  that  the  con- 
stantly moving  sea-ice  which  comes  drifting  from  the  noith 
has  been  the  great  hindrance  which  has  stopped  the  ships 
and  often  crushed  them,  as  well  as  has  made  progress  by 
means  of  dogs  and  sledges  such  a  difficult  task.  It  oc- 
curred to  me,  however,  that  there  must  be  other  ways  by 
which  the  interior  of  these  unknown  rej^ions  mi<jfht  be 
reached,  and  it  is  many  years  since  I  first  conceived  the 
plan  of  the  voyage  we  have  now  accomjjlished. 

It  was  especially  the  finding  of  some  articles  from  the 
unfortunate  y<?rt'«//<;'//t' expedition  which  led  me  in  iS<S4  to 
think  of  this  plan.  These  articles  were  found,  as  is  well 
known,  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Greenland,  and  could 
not,  in  my  opinion,  have  come  there  from  the  sea  north- 
east of  the  New  Siberian  Islands,  where  the  Jeannette 
went  down,  in  any  other  way  than  right  across  the  Polar 
Sea  north  of  Franz  Josef  Land  ;  and  it  struck  me  that  if 
objects  from  a  ship  could  drift  this  way,  a  ship  too  might 
go  the  same  route,  provided  she  was  strong  enough  to 
withstand  the  pressure  of  the  ice. 

I  then  began  to  study  these  seas  carefully,  and  turned 
my  attention  especially  to  the  ice  and  its  drift ;  but  the 


i*ii 


I  \ 


"  '  1 


as© 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORJ.D 


.'I  i 


I 


M 


more  I  studied  the  subject,  the  more  proofs  I  obtained 
of  a  constant  communication  between  the  sea  north  of 
Siberia  and  that  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  I 
was  fully  convinced  that  there  was  a  constant  drift  or 
drift  current  which  carried  the  drift  ice  in  a  fixed  course 
right  across  the  sea  around  the  North  Pole  from  the  Si- 
berian and  Bering  Strait  side,  out  into  the  sea  between 
Spitzbergen  and  Greenland.  And  so  certain  was  my  con- 
viction of  the  correctness  of  this  theory,  that  I  was  equally 
certain  that  an  expedition  which,  with  a  specially  adapted 
vessel,  pushed  into  the  ice  and  allowed  itself  to  be  frozen 
in  at  the  right  spot  on  the  Siberian  side,  must  necessarily 
drift  tiie  same  wa)-,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  lift,  to  some 
extent,  the  veil  which  is  drawn  across  these  regions.  In 
my  lecture  delivered  before  the  Royal  Geographical  So- 
ciety in  November,  1892,  and  published  in  the  "Geograjih- 
ical  Journal  "  for  1896,  I  unfolded  my  plan  and  the  views 
upon  which  it  was  based. 

The  proofs  upon  which  I  v^hiefly  based  my  theory  of  a 
drift  across  the  Polar  Sea  were,  as  before  mentioned:  — 

(1)  The  continual  conveyance  of  Siberian  drift  wood  to 
the  Greenland  coast. 

(2)  The  finding  on  the  coast  of  Greenland  of  a  throw- 
ing-stick  (an  Plskimo  implement),  of  which  it  might  with 
certainty  be  affirmed  that  it  came  from  Alaska  by  the 
Berina:  Strait ;  and 

(3)  The  very  nature  of  the  ice  that  comes  drifting  south 
along  the  coast  of  Kast  Greenland,  and  which  is  consider- 
ably larger  and  more  massive  than  any  drift  ice  we  know, 
and  may  therefore  safely  be  said  to  have  drifted  a  long 
time  in  the  sea  before  it  could  be  packed  together  and 
piled  up  to  form  such  enormous  masses. 


.!  i  ! 


INTRODUCTION 


251 


One  proof  to  wliich  at  that  time  I  attached  consid- 
erable value,  and  which,  after  investigating  the  circuni- 
stances  more  closely,  I  consider  to  be  of  still  greater  im- 
portance, was  that  all  over  the  ice  which  comes  drifting 
southward  along  the  east  coast  of  Cireenland,  down 
through  the  strait  between  Iceland  and  Greenland,  I  found 
brown  dust  and  mud.  This,  I  concluded,  could  not  come 
from  any  other  place  than  Siberia,  During  my  Green- 
land expedition  in  1888,  however,  1  collected  some  sam- 
ples of  this  dust,  which  I  got  the  geologist  Fornebohm  to 
examine.  Without  knowing  my  views  —  simply  from 
microscopical  examination  of  this  dust —  he  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  it  had  probably  come  from  an  extensive 
alluvial  country,  and  therefore  considered  Siberia  to  be  its 
probable  source.  Besides  mineral  dust,  however,  he  found 
in  these  sam.ples  microscopical  plants,  which  are  known 
by  the  name  of  diatoms,  and  he  therefore  sent  the  sam- 
ples to  Professor  Cleve,  the  great  author'ty  on  the  sub- 
ject. Cleve  now  found  a  striking  conformity  between  the 
diatoms  in  my  samples  and  those  in  a  sample  which  had 
been  casually  gathered  during  the  Swedish  Vega  expe- 
dition on  a  floe  off  Cape  Wankarema,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Bering  Strait.  These  diatom  samjiles  from  two 
places  lying  at  such  a  distance  from  one  another  are 
totally  different  from  all  other  samples  hitherto  examined 
from  different  parts  of  the  world.  Mutually,  however, 
they  are  so  exactly  alike  that  Cleve  did  not  hesitate  in 
expressing  it  as  his  opinion  that  there  must  be  an  open 
communication  between  the  sea  north  of  Berin";  Strait 
and  that  east  of  Greenland.  By  investigating  this  more 
closely  during  the  expedition,  I  found  a  whole  world  of 
diatoms  and  other  microscopical  organisms,  both  vege- 


)■ 
1: 


li'i 


m\ 


w 


\  <l 


252 


NANSKN  IN  THE  FROZEN    WORJ.D 


i 


h 


ill 


t. 


I '  i  ' 


table  and  animal,  living  in  the  frush-watcr  pools  on  the 
polar  drift  ice,  and  constantly  travelling  from  Siberia  to 
the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  —  a  world  which  has  hitherto 
only  been  known  from  the  above-mentioned  samples,  but 
which,  perhaj)s,  no  one  dreamed  was  living  on  the  ice  in 
the  far  north  —  that  ice  which  was  thought  to  be  utterly 
forsaken  by  all  living  beings. 

After  having  brought  forward  in  my  lecture  the  various 
proofs  of  the  correctness  of  my  theories,  I  summed  up  in 
the  following  words :  — 

From  all  these  facts  we  seem  fully  entitled  to  draw  the 
conclusion  that  a  current  is  constantly  running  across 
the  polar  region  to  the  north  of  Franz  Josef  Land  from 
the  sea  north  of  Siberia  and  Bering  Strait,  and  into  the 
sea  between  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland;  and  as  we  have 
seen,  the  floe  ice  is  constantly  travelling  with  this  current 
in  a  fixed  route  between  these  seas.  Since  such  is  the 
case,  the  most  natural  way  of  crossing  the  unknown  region 
must  be  to  take  a  ticket  with  this  ice,  and  enter  the  cur- 
rent on  the  side  where  it  runs  northward  —  that  is,  some- 
where near  the  New  Siberian  Islands  —  and  let  it  carry 
one  straight  across  those  latitudes  which  it  has  prevented 
so  many  from  reaching. 

As  was  emphasized  in  this  lecture,  it  was  not,  of  course, 
the  object  of  the  expedition  to  reach  the  North  Pole,  but 
to  go  right  across  the  unknown!  polar  region.  As  I  then 
said  ("  Geographical  Journal,"  p.  20),  it  is  not  possible  to 
guarantee  exactly  over  what  point  the  current  will  take 
one.  "  It  may  be  possible,"  I  say,  "  that  the  current  will 
not  carry  us  exactly  across  the  Pole,  but  the  principal 
thing  is  to  explore  the  unknown  polar  regions,  not  to 
reach  exactly  the  mathematical  point  in  which  the  axis 
of  our  globe  has  its  northern  termination." 


«a 


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v:  c  c. 


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j    ■■ 

i 

i^ii 


=54 


M^XSJ^.Y  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


To  attain  tlii>,  it  was  clear  to  nie  that  there  were  only 
two  ways  of  proceeding ;  it  was  either  — 

(i)  To  build  a  strong  ship,  so  constructed  that  it  can 
withstand  the  pressure  of  the  ice,  and,  living  in  this  ship, 
to  float  across  with  the  ice  ;  or 

(2)  To  take  only  boats  along,  and  camp  on  an  ice  floe, 
and  live  there  while  lloating  across. 

My  j)lan  was  especially  based  on  the  former  of  these 
two  ways,  but  also  in  such  a  manner  that  we  were  pre- 
pared to  take  the  second  way  in  case  our  ship  should  be 
overcome  by  the  superior  force  of  the  ice. 

In  order,  however,  that  this  should  not  happen,  I  gave 
all  my  care  to  the  building  of  a  ship  especially  fitted  for 
this  object,  and  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  in  the 
well-known  Norwegian  naval  architect,  Mr.  Colin  Archer, 
a  man  who  devoted  himself  with  all  the  skill  and  capabil- 
ity he  possessed  to  the  task  I  set  him.  Seldom,  if  ever, 
has  a  ship  been  built  with  more  care  or  greater  conscien- 
tiousness than  that  with  which  Colin  Archer  built  the 
Frmn ;  but  in  return  he  has  the  satisfaction  of  having 
produced  the  first  ship  that  has  ever  passed  the  Polar 
Circle.  The  Fram  fulfilled  perfectly,  down  to  the  small- 
est details,  the  requirements  which  I  put  upon  her.  It 
was  not  only  her  great  strength  and  the  picked  material 
of  which  she  was  built  which  enabled  her  to  go  through 
the  exceptionally  severe  ordeals  to  which  she  was  sub- 
jected, but  U  was  also  the  unusually  good  shape,  and  the 
numerous  ingenious  means  by  which  all  dangerous  points 
were  protected,  and  which  were  due  in  a  great  measure  to 
Colin  Archer's  insight.  It  is  therefore  to  a  great  extent 
owing  to  him,  through  the  good  ship,  that  the  whole  expe- 
dition, which  it  was  prophesied  in  advance  would  be  the 


INTRODUCTION 


m 


hardest  and  most  dangerous  that  man  liad  ever  yet  ven- 
tured upon,  was  a  real  pleasure  or  holiday  trip,  during 
which  we  led  so  comfortable  a  life  that  few  could  be 
more  comfortable,  even  in  Old  Eingland. 

When  I  delivered  my  lecture  to  the  Royal  Geograjihi- 
cal  Society,  many  of  the  great  Arctic  authorities  who 
were  present  as  my  true  friends,  and  anxious  about  the 
safety  of  my  companions  and  myself,  strongly  dissuaded 
me  from  the  attempt.  A  few  of  them  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  the  whole  plan  was  founded  on  theories  which 
were  far  from  agreeing  with  the  actual  circumstances; 
and  the  general  opinion,  both  in  England  and  elsewhere, 
was  that  either  the  expedition  would  never  be  heard  of 
again,  after  having  once  confided  itself  to  the  capricious 
polar  ice,  or  it  would  return  without  results  ;  and  all 
authorities  seemed  to  agree  that  it  was  an  utter  impossi- 
bility for  a  ship  to  withstand  the  ice-pack  in  the  unknown 
North.  The  well-known  American  Arctic  traveller.  Gen- 
eral A.  W.  Greely,  thought  it  "  almost  incredible  that 
the  plan  advanced  by  Dr.  Nansen  should  receive  encour- 
agement or  support,"  and  he  concludes  his  article  in  the 
"Forum"  with  the  following  words:  "  Arctic  exploration  is 
sufficiently  credited  with  rashness  and  danger  in  its  legit- 
imate and  sanctioned  methods,  without  bearing  the  bur- 
den of  Dr.  Nansen's  illogical  scheme  of  self-destruction." 

This,  of  course,  could  not  shake  my  faith  in  the  correct- 
ness of  my  plan.  The  Norwegian  Storthing  had  already, 
as  soon  as  I  put  forward  a  petition,  voted  the  sum  I 
required  for  its  realization,  while  there  was  no  difiicully 
in  obtaining  from  private  individuals  in  Norway  what 
more  was  required  for  the  expedition.  Having,  on 
account  of  the  expensive  construction  of  the  ship,  etc., 


Hil 


ifi 


I 


m 


256 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


\   i 


run  short  of  funds  just  before  starting,  I  had  to  ask  the 
Norwegian  Storthing  for  an  extra  grant,  which  was  again 
given  with  willing  hand. 

STATEMENT    OF    RECEII'TS    AND    EXPENDITUKES    OF   THE 
"  FKAM  "    EXPEDITION,     1893-1S96 


INCOMK 

Contribution  of  the  State 
(government)      .... 

H.  M.  the  king  and  origi- 
nal private  contributors  .   105,000.00 

Collected  by  geographical 
society  and  committee 

Interest 

Deficit  covered  by  A.  Mei- 
berg,  A.  Dick,  and  F. 
Nansen 19,862.50 

London  Geographical  So- 
ciety (^300),  H.  Simon, 
Manchester  (^100),  a 
Norwegian  at  Riga  (1000 
rubles),  and  others    .     .       9,278.62 


Crmvni 


280,000.00 


20.461S.46 
9,729.7s 


Total  cr 444,339.36 

(Total  about  $120,000.00.) 


EXl'KNSES 

Hire-account  (wages)    .     . 
Life    insurance    premiums 

(for  the   married   mem 

bers  of  exp.) 
Instruments  ace.  . 
Sliip's  ace.  .  .  . 
Provision  ace.  .  . 
K,xpen.se  ace.  .  . 
Outfitting  ace.  .     . 


Crmvns 
46,440.00 


5,361.90 

12,978.68 

271,927.08 

39, 1 72.98 
10,612  38 
S7,846.3.1 


Total  cr 444,339.36 

(Total  about  $120,000.00.) 


'I  (.1     ,. 

33 


\\ 


I.I 


I' 


» 


CHAPTER   XIV 


THE    VOYAGE    OF    THE    "  EKAM 


On  June  24,  1^93,  everything  was  at  ]a.>-t  ready,  and 
the  Fram  weighed  anchor,  and  stood  off  down  the 
Christiania  Fjord.  On  July  21  we  stood  out  to  sea  from 
Vardo,  the  last  Norwegian  })ort,  and  shaped  a  course  for 
Nova  Zembla.  On  the  way  we  were  stopped  by  ice  for 
some  days,  and  did  not  reach  Chabarowa,  in  the  Yugor 
Straits,  until  July  29.  Here  we  took  on  board  thirty-four 
Siberian  sledge  dogs,  which  Trontheim,  a  man  sent  by 
Baron  Toll,  had  brought  for  us  from  the  Ostiaks,  in  West 
Siberia.  Here,  too,  the  boiler  had  to  be  cleaned,  and 
various  other  preparations  made  before  we  could  proceed. 
We  were  also  waiting  for  a  sloop,  the  Urania,  which  was 
to  bring  us  a  cargo  of  coal ;  but  her  coming  was  delayed ; 
and  as  we  already  had  a  large  quantity  of  coal  and  time 
was  short,  I  decided  not  to  wait. 

On  one  occasion  I  am  afraid  that  I  lowered  my  repu- 
tation for  all  time  to  come  amonu'  the  Russians  and 
Samojedes  in  these  parts.  Some  of  them  had  been  on 
board  and  had  seen  me  stand  in  the  launch  (I  was  en- 
gaged in  putting  the  machinery  in  order),  with  arms  bare 
and  face  full  of  dirt  and  o^rease,  wearing  a  woollen  shirt 
and  working  hard.  After  they  had  gone  to  shore,  they 
told  Trontheim  that  he  had  deceived  them  in  telling 
them  that  I  was  a  fine  gentleman.  They  declared  that 
I   worked  like   a  common  laborer  on  board,  and   loolicd 

17 


r 


'53 


NAN^EN  IN  THE   J'KOZKA  WOKLD 


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1 

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T\ 


If 


worse  than  a  pig.  Unfortunately,  Tronthcim  could  not 
say  anything  in  my  defence;  one  cannot  deny  facts. 

On  the  evening  of  August  3  vvc  were  ready  to  start. 
My  secretary,  Christoffersen,  who  had  accompanied  us 
so  far,  now  took  leave  of  us.  Just  as  we  were  about  to 
weigh  anchor,  however,  a  fog  came  on,  and  we  could 
hardly  see  the  length  of  the  bowsprit.  The  fog  did  not 
seem  inclined  to  lift,  and  I  at  last  decided  to  start  in  spite 
of  it,  I  myself,  with  one  man,  going  in  front  in  our  little 
|)etroleum  launch  to  sound  the  shallow  channels  where 
we  might  expect  to  run  aground  at  any  moment.  We 
got  safely  out,  and  next  morning  stood  out  of  the  Yugor 
Straits,  and  entered  the  dreaded  Kara  Sea.  Here  it  was 
not  long  before  we  met  with  ice,  and  it  almost  looked  as 
if  every  way  was  blocked  ;  but  we  found  an  open  channel 
running  eastward  along  the  shore,  and  followed  it  as  far 
as  the  Kara  River.  Thence  we  crossed  over  to  Yalmal, 
where,  on  August  6,  we  were  completely  stopped  by  ice. 
We  went  ashore,  and  while  waiting  emi)loyed  the  time  in 
botanical  and  geological  expeditions.  Upon  fixing  the 
locality,  we  found,  too,  that  on  the  map  the  coast  was 
j)laccd  half  a  degree  too  far  west.  While  we  lay  here,  two 
Samojedes  came  on  board ;  they  were  hospitably  received, 
and,  having  been  enriched  with  biscuits  and  other  Euro- 
pean luxuries,  left  the  ship  well  pleased.  They  were  the 
last  human  being^s  we  saw. 

On  August  '  2  the  ice  at  length  opened  toward  the 
north  sufficiently  to  allow  of  our  venturing  on  an  attempt 
to  force  our  way  farther.  At  the  northern  point  of  Yal- 
mal, indeed,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  reach  open 
water  on  August  13;  but  a  stiff  northeasterly  gale  com- 
pelled us  to  tack  eastward  against  a  heavy  sea.  This 
went  on  for  several  weeks. 


TJIli    VOYAGE   OF  THE  '' EKAM'' 


259 


While  beating  up  one  day  against  a  stiff  breeze  in  the 
Kara  Sea,  to  the  northwest  of  the  mouth  of  the  Yenisei 
River,  we  suddenly  discovered  land.  We  could  not  make 
out  what  this  was,  as  our  observations  gave  our  position 
as  right  out  at  sea.  It  soon,  however,  became  clear  to  us 
that  this  was  a  hitherto  unknown  island,  and  we  named 
it  Sverdrup's  Island.  In  the  evening  we  got  under  the 
shore  at  Port  Dickson.  It  had  originally  been  our  inten- 
tion to  put  in  here  to  leave  letters  for  home,  which  were 
to  be  called  for  by  the  English  Yenisei  Expedition  under 
Captain  Wiggins ;  but  time  was  precious,  and  I  therefore 
decided  to  go  on  without  stopping. 

During  our  sail  in  a  northeasterly  direction  along  the 
coast  of  Siberia  we  were  continually  discovering  new  is- 
lands, which  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  here.  This  coast 
upon  the  whole  is  very  different  from  that  represented  on 
maps.  It  gave  me  the  impression  of  being  a  glaciated 
coast,  with  deep  fjords  and  a  marked  belt  of  rocks  and 
islands  outside  it,  something  like  the  west  coast  of  Nor- 
way or  Scotland,  although  of  course  the  mountains  were 
not  so  high  nor  the  fjords  so  marked. 

On  August  20  we  landed  on  one  of  Kjcllman's  Islands, 
where  we  shot  a  couple  of  bears  and  some  reindeer. 
Here,  as  in  several  places  on  the  Siberian  coast,  we  found 
unmistakable  traces  of  a  glacial  period,  which  must  have 
covered  Northern  Siberia  with  an  inland  ice  of  considera- 
ble extent.  I  found  erratic  blocks,  moraines,  and  moraine 
deposit  almost  wherever  I  landed,  from  Yalmal  to  the  east 
of  Cape  Chelyuskin  ;  and  on  this  particular  island  I  also 
found,  in  a  place  which  was  left  bare  at  low  water,  unmis- 
takable striations.  WMien  we  were  about  to  go  on  from 
this  place,  we  were  stopped  by  storm  and  a  rapid  adverse 


'•''il 

'I 


WTT 


260 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


A 


.1 1 
If » 


I!' 


.1 


current,  which,  in  these  dangerous  waters,  full  of  rocks 
and  shallows,  rendered  our  advance  impossible.  Not  un- 
til August  24  did  we  get  clear  of  them,  when  we  still  had 
to  beat  up  toward  the  east,  against  a  strong  head  wind. 
On  August  27  we  reached  Cape  Palander,  and  on  the 
same  nigiit  were  stopped  by  unbroken  land-ice  between 
Nordenskjold's  Taimyr  Island  and  the  Almquist  Islands. 
We  endeavored  to  break  our  way  through  to  the  north  of 
the  latter,  but  discovered  a  neu  "^hain  of  islands  stretch- 
ing far  north.  After  having  at  length  reached  the  north- 
ern end  of  these,  we  were  stopped  there  by  densely  packed 
ice,  and  were  obliged  to  turn  back.  There  was  no  pas- 
sage to  be  discovered  ;  unbroken  land-ice  lay  everywhere 
between  the  islands.  We  were  obliged  to  wait,  prepared 
to  winter  in  the  same  spot  where  Nordenskjold,  as  early 
as  the  middle  of  August,  1878,  had  found  water  entirely 
free  from  ice.  The  storm,  however,  broke  up  the  ice,  and 
on  September  6  we  were  able  to  continue  our  way;  but  to 
our  surprise  we  came  upon  land  before  we  were  half  way 
across  the  Taimyr  Gulf,  as  it  is  laid  down  on  the  map. 
This  bay  is  considerably  narrower  than  one  would  gather 
from  ordinary  maps,  and  has  a  different  appearance.  We 
went  on  in  a  northerly  direction  toward  Cape  Chelyus- 
kin, but  were  stopped  on  September  7  by  close-packed 
ice  to  landward. 

On  the  following  day  I  went  on  an  expedition  into  the 
Chelyuskin  Peninsula.  I  found  it  to  consist  for  the  most 
part  of  extensive  clay  plains,  strewn  with  huge  erratic 
blocks  of  granite,  porphyry,  and  various  kinds  of  rock.  I 
also  found  here  the  opening  of  a  mighty  estuary,  which 
extended  far  up  into  the  land. 

On  September  9  we  were  once  more  able  to  push  our 


» 


If 


THE    VOYAGE   OF  THE  '' ERA.\r 


261 


way  northward,  discovcrint;  still  more  new  islands  in  the 
sea  to  the  west  of  Cape  Chelyuskin,  whieh  we  passed  on 
September  10.  Kast  of  this  cape  the  thickly  i)acked  ice 
obliged  us  once  more  to  make  a  short  halt.  Masses  of 
ice  lay  to  the  east  and  south  aloni>"  the  east  coast  of  the 
Taimyr  Peninsula,  so  close  to  the  shore  that  we  were 
obliued  to  continue  alonsjr  it  southward  as  far  as  to  about 
the  mouth  of  the  Anabara  River.  On  Sej^tember  15  we 
were  off  the  Olenek  River,  where  twenty-six  first-rate 
sledge  dogs  were  awaiting  us.  These,  too,  had  been  pro- 
cured by  Baron  Toll,  because  the  I^last  Siberian  dogs  are 
very  much  better  than  the  West  Siberian.  It  was  most 
important  for  me  to  have  these  dogs,  as  I  felt  that  they 
might  become  very  useful  tons;  but  the  shallow  water 
and  the  lateness  of  the  season  kept  me  from  going  in. 
Were  we  to  run.  aground  here,  it  might  easily  cost  us 
several  days'  labor  to  get  afloat  again,  and  in  the  mean 
time  winter  might  set  in,  and  we  should  be  imprisoned 
for  a  whole  year,  even  if  nothing  worse  happened.  I 
considered  this  was  too  great  a  risk  to  run,  and  therefore 
continued  our  course  toward  the  New  Siberian  Islands. 

On  the  night  of  September  18  we  passed  the  most 
westerly  of  these  islands — Bielkov  Island.  Depots  had 
been  left  on  Kotelny  for  the  expedition  by  Baron  Toll,  in 
case  of  our  being  obliged  to  leave  the  shij)  and  turn  our 
steps  homeward  across  Siberia.  I  would  have  been  glad 
to  inspect  these  depots ;  but  again  time  compelled  us  to 
continue  our  way  without  delay  through  the  o})en  water 
to  the  north. 

It  was  not  until  September  20,  in  77°  44'  N.  lat.,  that 
we  were  stopped  by  ice.  I  should  have  liked  to  go 
eastward  along  the   edge  of   the  ice  for  the  purpose  of 


y 


"iHi 


w 


r(>2 


NANSI'lX  IN  TIIE    I'KO/.liX  WORLD 


n    I 


cxaniiniiii;,  if  possil)!^,  tlic  mysterious  Sannikov  Land; 
and  thence  go  in  the  cHreetion  of  Bennett  Island  ;  but 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  iee  in  this  direction,  and  as  pro- 
gress would  consecjuently  he  doubtful,  I  continued  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  along  the  edge  of  the  ice.  On 
vSepteniber  21  we  reached  the  head  of  a  bay  in  the  ice, 
whence  the  ice-edge  extended  in  a  southwesterly  direc- 
tion. Here  we  could  discover  no  further  lead  toward 
the  norl'i,  and  we  therefore,  <jn  September  22,  made  fast 
to  an  icjberg  in  7.S  50'  N.  lat.  and  133'  37'  I*^.  long.,  and 
allowed  ourselves  to  be  surrounded  bv  the  ice,  which  was 
soon  packed  closely  around  the  ship. 

During  the  first  few  days  we  drifted  in  a  northerly 
direction,  so  that  by  Sej)tember  29  we  had  passed  the 
seventy-ninth  |)arallel  of  latitude.  Ho])e  was  bright,  but 
before  long  it  was  darkened  by  a  north  wind,  which  con- 
tinued throughout  the  autumn,  and  carried  us  in  a  south- 
easterly direction.  That  was  a  dreary  time  ;  it  seemed 
as  if  everything  were  going  against  us.  On  November 
S  we  had  come  right  down  as  far  as  77"  43'  N.  lat.,  and 
138°  8'  1'^  long.;  but  then  at  last  we  got  southerly  and 
southeasterly  winds,  and  began  in  earnest  to  drift  in  a 
northerly  and  northwesterly  direction,  just  as  had  been 
presupposed,  in  the  plan  of  the  expedition. 

As  early  as  October  the  ice-pressures  began  to  be  tre- 
mendous, and  continued  throughout  the  autumn  and 
winter.  We  soon  discovered  that  it  was  principally  due 
to  the  tidal  current,  and  that  the  ice  periodically  parted 
and  packed  together  again  twice  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 
The  pressure,  was  therefore  greatest  at  the  spring  tides, 
when  it  would  often  lift  the  vessel  several  feet,  only  to  let 
it  drop  back  again  into  its  former  position  as  soon  as  the 


)t 


THE    VOYAGE    OF  THE  '' IKAM' 


s63 


m 


THK    "  IKAM  '     I.N    TIIK    ICK-I'ACK 


ice  again  opened.  In  the  case  of  any  other  vessel  this 
pressure  would  have  been  utterly  fatal;  but  the  Fravi 
surpassed  our  boldest  expectations,  and  was  superior  to 
all  pressure.  The  ice  piled  itself  up,  and  crashed  against 
her  sides  with  a  noise  like  the  crack  of  doom,  but  in  vain. 
There  was  not  a  sound  of  the  yielding  of  umbers  or  wood. 


i!   i 


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A'AN.'^EN  JN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


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mx^ 


The  noise  of  tlie  ice  criishiriG:  ae^ainst  her  sides  often  rose 
to  such  a  j)itch  that  \ve  could  not  hear  each  other  speak 
as  we  sat  in  the  saloon.  It  was  particularly  awkward  for 
the  card-players,  who  thus  could  not  hear  each  other's 
declarations. 

At  first,  as  \on<i  as  the  crew  were  unaccustomed  to  this, 
they  found  the  scene  so  interesting  that  they  remained  on 
deck  to  watch  it ;  but  they  soon  tired  of  it,  and  no  longer 
went  uj),  however  bad  tl-.e  pressure  was.  We  felt  as  safe 
as  in  a  fortress,  and  the  Fram  was  a  comfortable  warm 
nest,  where  nothing  was  felt  of  the  severity  of  the  polar 
w'nter. 

The  temperature  fell  rapidly,  and  continued  evenly  low 
throughout  the  winter.  During  many  weeks  the  mer- 
cury was  frozen.  The  lowest  temperature  was  63"  below 
zero.  In  spite  of  this,  and  although  with  this  temperature 
there  was  often  a  wind,  we  felt  quite  comfortable,  during 
our  oj)en-air  excursions,  in  our  good  woollen  clothing, 
with  a  covering  of  wind-proof  material  outside.  The 
Fram  was  so  well  protected  against  the  cold  that  even  in 
these  low  temperatures  we  had  no  fire  in  the  saloon  until 
the  New  Year. 

All  the  men  were  in  excellent  health  during  the  whole 
of  the  ex  ledition,  and  we  are  all  agreed  that  the  Polar 
Sea  is  a  healthy  place,  especially  wit!"-  such  a  capital  sani- 
tarium as  the  Fram. 

The  electric  light  was  produced  by  means  of  a  wind- 
mill, and  quite  fulfilled  our  expectations.  There  was  not, 
however,  sufificient  wind  to  allow  of  our  having  electric 
light  all  the  time,  and  vre  then  had  to  content  ourselves 
with  ordhiary  oil  lamps. 

On  the  whole,  the  time  passed  as  pleasantly  as  possible 


i 


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1^ 


hi';/ 


T^ 


266 


NAA'SEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


[    i 


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»    b 


I'l     ' 


vl  I 


: 


:   ■    \ 


on  board.  Every  man  was  on  the  best  of  terms  with  his 
neighbor,  and  did  his  duty  with  a  will.  Care  was  of 
course  taken  to  provide  occupation;  but  even  without  this, 
time  did  not  hang  heavy  on  our  hands.  For  those  who 
were  not  continually  occupied  in  scientific  observations 
and  investigations  there  was  abundant  entertainmcTit  in  a 
capital  library,  games,  music,  various  kinds  of  work,  etc.; 
and  I  think  hardly  any  of  us  greatly  felt  the  monctony 
complained  of  in  all  Arctic  expeditions.  For  us  who  had 
charge  of  the  scientific  observations  there  was  more  work 
than  we  could  accomplish.  The  Fram.  in  fact  consti- 
tuted an  observatory  of  the  best  kind  for  scientific  in- 
vestigations of  all  kinds;  and  it  is  therefore  scarcely  to 
be  wondered  at  that  we  should  bring  home  such  abun- 
dant and  valuable  material  as  few  expeditions  before  us 
secured. 

Lieutenant  Sigurd  Scott-Hansen  was  responsible  for 
the  meteorological,  magnetic,  and  astronomical  observa- 
tions, which,  I  venture  to  say,  are  exceptionally  complete. 
Dr.  Blessing  undertook  the  greater  part  of  the  botanical 
investigations  and  observations  of  the  Aurora  Borealis, 
and  also,  of  course,  his  physiological  and  medical  observa- 
tions, which  are  by  no  means  unimportant.  In  addition 
to  these,  zoological  researches  were  made  on  board,  sound- 
ings, determination  of  the  temperature  and  the  salinity  of 
the  sea  water,  observations  of  the  atmospherical  electricity, 
and  much  besides. 

In  the  sea  near  the  Siberian  coast  and  northward  to 
79°  N.  lat.,  I  found  only  very  inconsiderable  depths —  less 
than  ninety  fathoms.  A  little  south  of  this  latitude,  how- 
ever, the  depth  increased  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  I 
found  the  sea  north  of  that  to  be  between  1,600  and  1,900 


\4M 


/7(-r:'C.li^r,urst     \X 


^'  ■  -  A, 


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Mip  showing  the  Projected  and  Actual  Routes  of  the  "  Fram,"  and  the  Course  of  the  Sledge;  Expedition. 


w 


268 


A^AXSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


>',     ! 


■  1 


]-\' 


\    ,■ 


■A 


fathoms  deep.  It  therefore  seems  to  me  as  if  the  entire 
polar  basin  should  be  considered  as  a  continuation  of  the 
deep  channel  which  runs  northward  from  the  North 
Atlantic  Ocean  between  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland. 
This  discovery  of  a  deep  polar  basin  overthrows,  however, 
all  earlier  theories  based  upon  a  shallow  Polar  Sea.  In 
the  numerous  bottom  samples  brought  to  the  surface  in 
our  soundings  I  always  found  a  remarkable  absence  of 
organic  life,  a  fact  which  will  probably  lead  to  some  alter- 
ation of  our  views  with  regard  to  bottom  deposits.  The 
temperature  and  salinity  of  the  sea  also  prove  to  be  very 
different  from  the  suppositions  of  most  scientific  authori- 
ties. I  found,  not  far  below  the  cold  ice-water  covering 
the  surface  of  the  Polar  Sea,  a  deep  layer  of  warmer  and 
Salter  water,  originating  probably  in  the  Gulf  Stream,  its 
temperature  being  as  much  as  one  degree  above  freezing 
point.  Below  this,  indeed,  the  water  was  somewhat 
colder,  but  yet  considerably  warmer  than  is  generally 
supposed. 

The  speed  at  which  we  drifted  was  continually  chang- 
ing, and  our  course,  in  consequence,  was  not  a  straight 
line.  Sometimes  we  drifted  forward,  but  at  others  we 
went  back  again;  and  were  our  course  to  be  marked  on  a 
map  as  it  actually  was,  it  would  be  such  a  confusion  of 
loops  and  knots  that  no  one  would  be  able  to  make  any- 
thing of  it.  P'rom  the  accompanying  outline  map,  how- 
ever, on  which  the  principal  features  of  our  course  are 
given,  a  good  impression  of  its  direction  may  be  obtained. 
As  we  expected,  we  drifted  most  in  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion in  the  winter  and  spring,  while  northerly  winds 
stopped  us  in  the  summer. 

By  June  18  we  had  in  this  way  reached  81°  52'  N.  lat., 


THE    VOYAGE    OF  THE   ^' FEAAf" 


•69 


but  prevailing  northwest  winds  again  drove  us  south- 
ward, and  the  whole  of  that  summer  we  drifted  about 
in  lower  latitudes.  Not  until  October  21  did  we  reach 
82°  N.  lat.  in  114"  9'  E.  long.  On  the  evening  of  Christ- 
mas Day,  1894,  83°  was  reached  in  about  105°  E.  long., 
and  a  few  days  later  83°  24'  N.  lat.  —  the  most  northerly 
latitude  until  then  reached  by  man. 

On  January  4  and  5,  1895,  the  Frani  was  subjected  to 
the  greatest  j^-essure  we  experienced.  Before  we  set  out 
on  our  expedition  the  great  Arctic  authority,  Sir  Leopold 
McClintock,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  Fram  would 
be  able  to  withstand  the  ice-pressure  in  the  summer,  but 
that  if  she  were  exposed  to  it  in  the  winter  he  believed 
the  probability  of  her  being  able  to  stand  the  pressure  or 
raise  herself  was  very  slight.  Other  Arctic  authorities 
expressed  themselves  yet  more  strongly,  saying  that  it 
was  an  impossibility  for  any  ship  to  stand  the  ice-pressure 
in  the  winter.  Now,  however,  the  Fram  was  not  onl)'  to 
be  exposed  to  winter  pressure,  but  she  was  then  fast 
frozen  in  ice  of  over  thirty  feet  in  thickness,  a  fact  of 
which  I  had  previously  ascertained  the  truth  by  boring. 
Across  this  ice  immense  masses  of  ice  came  "-liding  with 
irresistible  force  against  our  port  side.  The  pressure  was 
tremendous.  The  ice  piled  itself  up  above  the  gunwales, 
and  high  up  the  rigging,  threatening,  if  not  to  crush  her, 
at  least  to  bury  her.  Scarcely  a  man  on  board  believed 
she  could  live.  The  necessar)'  provisions,  canvas  kaiaks, 
cooking  utensils,  fuel,  tents,  hand-sledges,  and  ski  were  all 
brought  in  safety  on  to  the  ice.  All  hands  w^re  ready  to 
leave  the  ship,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  sleep  unless 
fully  clothed. 

But  the  Fram  proved  to  be  stronger  than  our  faith  in 


i     1 


m 


m 


% 

'I, 


Tfsr 


!  ■ 


If 


i    I' 


270 


NANS  EN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


her.  When  the  pressure  was  at  its  height,  and  for  the 
first  time  her  timbers  and  beams  began  to  creak,  she 
broke  loose,  and  was  slowly  lifted  up  out  of  the  icy  berth 
in  which  she  had  been  fast  frozen. 

It  was  a  triumph.  By  putting  together  the  very  worst 
possibilities,  I  could  hardly  imagine  a  more  dangerous 
position  for  a  vessel,  and  after  that  experience  I  consider 
i\\^Fram  to  be  capable  of  anything.  Notwithstanding 
the  most  careful  examination,  we  have  not  been  able  to 
discover  a  single  crack,  a  single  splinter  displaced  in  her. 

After  this  it  became  comparatively  quiet  as  regards  the 
pressures,  and  we  drifted  on  rapidly  in  a  northerly  and 
northeasterly  direction. 


I  M,l:^   ' 


,  f 


m  j 


i 


I 


M      I  .,  It 


^\\\    '    'i 


h:  ;k.  i 


CHAPTER    XV^ 


I 't^ 


liil 


fi 


i!  i' 


< 


THE    GREAT    SLEDGE    EXPEDITION 

As  I  now  thought  I  could  assume  with  certainty  that 
the  Fram  in  a  short  time  would  reach  her  hijrhest  lati- 
tude  north  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  and  as  early  as  the 
following  summer  would,  as  our  plan  presupposed,  be 
near  the  sea  north  of  Spitzbergen,  I  believed  the  oppor- 
tunity had  come  to  carry  out  a  plan  I  had  for  some  time 
entertained:  namely,  to  examine  the  sea  north  of  the 
Franis  course.  This  could  only  be  done  by  a  sledge  ex- 
pedition, which  could  not  reckon  upon  getting  back  again 
to  the  Frarrt,  as  the  chance  of  refindinfr  a  vessel  driftintr 
in  the  ice  was  small.  As  a  journey  of  this  kind  might 
appear  to  be  fraught  with  some  risk,  should  unforeseen 
hindrances  be  met  with,  I  felt  that  I  could  not  take  the 
responsibility  of  sending  any  one  else,  and  therefore  de- 
cided to  go  myself,  although  Luere  was  no  lack  on  board 
of  those  who  were  more  than  desirous  of  going.  I  chose 
as  my  companion  Lieutenant  Joh.aisen,  who  gladly  ac- 
cepted the  offer  of  going.  The  cojnmand  of  the  remain- 
der of  the  expedition  on  board  the  Fram  I  left  in  Sver- 
drup's  hands. 

I  of  course  felt  some  hesitation  in  thus  leaving  rny 
companions  and  placing  the  responsibility  for  their  well- 
being  and  safety  in  the  hands  of  another ;  but  with  the 
perfect  confidence  that  I  had  in  Sverdrup's  capability  as 
a  leader  and  power  of  overcoming  difficulties,  I  had  no 


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272 


NANSE.y  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


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fear  of  his  not  bringing  all  hands  safely  home,  ev'cn 
should  the  worst  happen  and  they  have  to  abandon  the 
Fram ;  an  event,  however,  which  I  deemed  highly  im- 
probable. 

All  the  winter  I  had  been  busy  making  preparations  for 
this  expedition.  1  had  had  new  strong  sledges  made  on 
board  specially  calculated  for  being  drawn  by  dogs  over 
the  uneven  ice.  Next  I  had  made  two  kaiaks,  twelve  feet 
in  length,  and  so  roomy  that  they  could  each  carry  a  man 
with  provisions  for  four  months,  as  well  as  some  dogs  on 
the  deck.  The  framework  of  these  was  made  of  bamboo 
and  covered  with  canvas.  When  completed  they  weighed 
about  forty  pounds  each.  The  provisions,  which  consisted 
exclusively  of  the  best  kinds  of  dried  and  greatly  con- 
densed articles  of  food, — chiefly  dried  meat,  dried  fish, 
steam-cooked  oatmeal,  biscuits,  butter,  etc.,  etc.,  —  were 
stowed  away  in  r.mvas  bags  of  convenient  size.  We  had 
constantly  driven  the  dogs  to  keep  them  in  training  for 
the  journey,  and  all  kinds  of  experiments  had  lieen  tried 
with  the  tent,  sleeping-bag,  etc. 

It  was  my  intention  to  leave  the  Fram  as  soon  as  the 
dawning  polar  day  would  allow  of  our  traversing  the 
rough  drift  ice.  So  on  February  26.  with  six  sledges, 
twenty-eight  dogs,  two  kaiaks,  and  provisions  for  men 
and  dogs  for  several  months,  Johansen  and  I  left  the 
Fram.  However,  after  four  days'  toiling  with  all  these 
sledges  over  the  rough  ice,  we  saw  that,  thus  heavily 
laden,  we  should  not  be  able  to  reach  our  s:oal  in  ijood 
time.  The  dogs  could  not  on  this  ice  draw  as  much  as 
we  had  expected  of  them  ;  and  we  therefore  decided  to 
return  to  the  ship,  in  order  to  reduce  the  number  of  our 
sledges  and  the  quantity  of  our  provisions,  and  to  wait  a 
little  longer  before  setting  off. 


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A'.IA'S/LV  /.V    rilli   IRO/EN  WONLD 


On  March  3,  just  as  wc  were  approachiiiL;'  the  J'niiu, 
the  sun  aijpcarucl  above  the  horizon  for  the  (\v>[  tinu;  that 
spriiiL;-,  after  the  longest  polar  iii^ht  ever  experienced  by 
man.  Observations  taken  on  the  same  chiy  showed  that 
we  had  reached  a  hititude  of  84""  4'  N. 


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II 


DR.    NANSKN'    AND    1,1  KUTK.NANT  Ji  >ll  ANSKN    LKAVINC;   THK    "  KKAM  " 

A  few  days  were  a-i^ain  si)ent  in  preparations.  It  was 
now  my  j)lan  to  take  witli  us  only  cIol;'  i)rovisions  for  one 
month  and  provisions  for  the  men  for  a  lumdred  days, 
and  with  this  lis^lit  ec|uipment  try  to  pass  ([uickly  on 
over  the  ice.  \W'  thus  need  not  set  off  so  early,  and 
it  was  not  until  March  14  that  we  again  said  farewell  to 
our  companions,  this  time  in  earnest.  We  had  now  onl)- 
three  sledges,  on  two  of  which  lay  our  two  kaiaks,  and 
we  had  the  same  twenty-eight  dogs  as  before.  It  was 
my  hope  that  as  we  got  farther  north  we  should  find 
smoother  ice,  the  ice  there  being  older,  and  its  uneven- 


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THE   GREAT  SLEDGE   EXrEDlTlON 


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ness  therefore  better  covered  up  by  tlie  driftinj;  snow. 
This  appeared  at  first  to  be  the  case.  We  found  the  ice 
tolerably  easy  to  jjjet  over,  and  did  some  good  days' 
marches.  On  March  22  we  had  already  reached  .S5  10' 
N.  lat.,  and  we  calculated  that  we  could  cover  greater  and 
greater  distances  as  the  sledge-loads  grew  lighter  with  the 
daily  consumption  of  food  on  the  ])art  (if  both  men  and 
dogs.  The  dogs,  too,  a|j|)eared  to  hold  out  fairly  well. 
Hut  by  and  by  the  Hoes  began  to  be  more  uneven,  and 
packed  together,  and  the  drift,  which  until  then  had 
seemed  to  be  slight,  was  now  against  us.  On  March  2s 
we  had  reached  <S5°  19'  N.  lat.;  on  the  29th,  S5 '  30'. 
The  ice  was  obviously  drifting  southward  at  a  good  rate, 
while  at  the  same  time  our  jjrogress  over  the  rough  ice 
was  slow.  It  was  a  never-ending  labor,  forcing  our  way 
through  and  getting  the  sledges  over  the  high  hummocks 
and  piled-up  ridges  of  ice,  which  were  always  being 
formed  afresh,  and  which  the  snow-storm  never  had  time 
to  smooth  over.  On  such  ice  the  dogs,  of  course,  were  of 
very  little  assistance.  When  they  came  to  obstacles  such 
as  these  they  waited  patiently  until  we  had  carried  the 
sledges  safely  over,  and  they  could  once  more  draw  them 
on  over  a  short  stretch  of  level  ice  to  a  fresh  obstacle. 

The  ice  was  in  constant  movement  and  thrndering 
around  us  on  all  sides.  On  April  3  we  were  in  85'  59' 
N.  lat.  We  pushed  on  with  all  our  might,  always  h()])ing 
for  better  ice.  On  April  4  we  reached  86"^  3' ;  but  the 
ice  grew  worse,  until  at  last  on  April  7  it  was  so  bad 
that  I  thought  it  unadvisable  to  continue  any  farther  to- 
ward the  north.  If  it  were  like  this  in  the  direction  of 
Franz  Josef  Land,  we  might  have  difficulty  enough  in 
getting    there.     We   were    then   in   86°    14'    N.    lat.,  and 


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about  95°  E.  long.  In  order  to  investigate  the  state  of 
the  ice  and  the  possibiHty  of  advance,  I  went  farther 
north  on  ski,  but  could  discern  no  likelv  way.  I'Vom  the 
highest  hummock  1  could  find,  I  saw  only  packed  and 
piled-up  ice  as  far  as  the  horizon. 

Here,  as  during  our  whole  journey,  we  saw  no  sign  of 
land  in  any  direction.  The  ice  appeared  to  drift  before 
the  wind  without  being  stopped  Ijy  mainland  or  islands 
for  a  distance  of  many  miles  ;  and  it  seems  to  me  scarcely 
probable  that  land  will  be  found  on  this  side  of  the  North 
Pole,  even  if  we  must  sujDpose  that  on  the  other  side  any- 
thing like  a  continuation  of  the  North  American  archi- 
pelago may  be  found  toward  the  north. 

The  first  time  we  set  out  from  the  Fram  we  had  had 
our  good  warm  wolf-skin  clothes  with  us  ;  but  as  spring 
was  approaching,  and  the  temperature  had  latterly  been 
comparatively  high,  we  did  not  think  we  should  again 
have  very  low  temj^eratures,  and  therefore,  to  save  weight 
and  make  the  caravan  as  easy  of  transport  as  possible,  we 
reduced  the  outfit  to  a  minimum,  and  left  our  warm  fur 
clothing  on  board  when  we  left  the  Fram  for  the  second 
time,  a  proceeding  that  we  were  subsequently  to  repent 
bitterly. 

For  about  three  weeks  the  temperature  remained  at 
about  40°  below  zero,  rising  on  AjDril  i  to  7.6°  below 
zero,  but  soon  sinking  again  to  36.4°  below  zero.  With 
such  a  temperature  and  a  wind,  we  often  felt  it  bitterly 
cold  in  our  good  but  too  light  woollen  clothing,  which, 
owing  to  the  perspiration  of  the  body,  was  gradually 
transformed  into  an  icy  coat  of  mail.  It  was  worse  with 
our  outer  woollen  jackets,  which  became  covered  with  a 
thick  layer  of  ice,  which  it  took  us  fully  an  hour  to  thaw 


i 


w 


THE   GREAT  r LEDGE   EXJ'ED/T/ON 


277 


every  night  in  our  slecpini>-bag,  no  little  physical  heat 
being  spent  on  the  i)rocess  ;  and  not  until  we  had  lain 
with  chattering  teeth  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half  did 
we  begin  to  feel  at  all  comfortable,  A  few  minutes  after 
we  got  out  (>f  our  sleeping-bag  in  the  morning,  our  clothes 
were  again  transformed  into  ice ;  and  I  scarcely  think 
that  either  Johansen  or  I  will  ever  wish  for  a  repetition 
of  those  days.  In  March  the  minimum  tem})erature  was 
49*^  below  zero,  the  maximum  4'  below  zero. 

It  was  on  April  cS  that  we  altered  our  course  and  be- 
gan our  wanderings  toward  Cape  Migely,  in  hranz  Josef 
Land.  ¥oy  a  time  we  still  had  the  same  toilsome  kind  of 
road  to  go  ;  but  after  one  day's  march  the  ice  became  bet- 
ter, and  its  passage  somewhat  easier.  It  was  our  habit  to 
wind  up  our  watches  every  evening  when  we  got  into  our 
sleeping-bags.  Being,  however,  very  anxious  to  get  on, 
our  day's  march  was  sometimes  very  long,  and  on  April 
12  more  than  thirty-six  hours  had  elaj)sed  before  we 
again  crept  into  our  bags;  and  when  we  then  thought  of 
our  watches  they  had  run  down.  This  was  an  unfortunate 
occurrence.  I  had  taken  no  observations  for  longitude 
for  three  days.  I  of  course  took  an  observation  for  time 
the  following  day,  but  was  obliged  to  make  a  reckoning 
for  the  three  intermediate  days'  journey,  which,  however, 
I  knew  must  be  fairly  accurate,  even  though  I  could  not 
tell  how  much  the  ice  had  drifted  in  that  time.  In  order 
to  have  our  time  once  more  quite  exact,  I  now  wanted  to 
take  some  lunar  distances ;  but  on  setting  about  it  I  dis- 
covered  that  the  table  necessary  for  their  calculation  had 
been  left  on  board  by  mistake.  We  naturally,  during  the 
rest  of  our  journey,  continued  to  take  observations  for 
longitude  with  just  as  much  care,  and  thought  that  we 
could  not  be  very  far  out. 


0 


278 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


I  ^    1 


^  i*^ 


When  we  arrived  at  85°  N.  lat.  on  April  25,  to  our 
astonisliment  we  came  ujion  two  fox  tracks.  This  seemed 
to  imply  that  we  were  near  some  land ;  but  nothing  of 
the  kind  was  visible,  notwithstandinij;  the  clear  weather. 
What  now  most  hindered  our  progress  were  the  cracks 
and  channels  in  the  ice.  In  that  low  temperature  they 
were,  as  a  rule,  covered  with  a  thin  sheet  of  ice,  which 
made  it  imiDossible  to  use  our  kaiaks  in  ijettin";  across. 
We  were  therefore  often  compelled  to  go  a  round  of 
many  miles,  and  it  would  sometimes  take  half  a  day  to 
get  past  a  channel  of  this  kind.  The  farther  south  we 
came,  the  more  of  these  there  were,  and  they  greatly 
hindered  our  advance ;  while  provisions  were  dwindling, 
and  the  dogs  had  to  be  killed  one  a'ter  another  to  feed 
the  remainder.  Some  of  the  dogs  at  first  evinced  great 
aversion  to  eating  their  companions  ;  but  as  their  hunger 
increased,  and  they  got  nothing  else  to  eat,  they  gradu- 
ally became  so  voracious  for  this  food  that  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  keep  them  from  it  as  soon  as  a  dog  was  killed. 

Their  rations  had  to  be  gradually  reduced  to  the  small- 
est possible  amount,  so  as  to  make  the  little  we  had  go  far 
enough,  and  keep  them  alive  as  long  as  possible ;  but  by 
degrees  they  grew^  sadly  worn  out.  Many  of  them  drew 
their  load  faithfully  until  they  suddenly  dropped  down 
with  fatigue,  unable  to  stand  any  longer.  We  then  had 
no  other  choice  than  to  kill  them  on  the  spot,  or  to  lay 
them  on  one  of  the  sledges,  and  take  them  with  us  to  kill 
them  when  we  pitched  our  camp  in  the  evening. 

In  June  the  channels  became  more  numerous  and 
more  difficult  than  ever  to  deal  with,  and  the  state  of  the 
ice  was  very  bad.  Dogs,  ski,  and  sledge-runners  broke 
through  the  crust  on  the  snow,  and  sank  deep  into  the 


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THE    GREAT  SLEDGE  EXPEDITION 


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soft  and  wet  snow  beneath.  The  number  of  dotjjs  now, 
too,  was  very  small,  and  was  continually  diminishint;". 
Advance  seemed  almost  hopeless,  but  we  had  no  choice, 
and  so  toiled  on  as  l)est  we  could,  while  the  rations  for 
both  dogs  and  men  were  reduced  to  a  mininunu. 

It  is  well  known  that,  according  to  l^iyer's  ma|),  there 
is  a  land  north  of  l''ran/  h)si'f  Land,  in  about  '!r\}y'  N,  hit., 
which  he  has  called  I'etermaiin  Land.  It  had  been  m\' 
intention  to  try  first  to  gain  lliis  land,  where  progress 
would  probably  have  been  easy,  and  where  we  could 
have  reckoned  m\  finding  sufficient  game  for  our  rilles. 
According  to  our  reckoning,  too,  we  ought  now  to  ha\e 
been  in  the  loni^itude  of  this  land  ;  but  we  came  farther 
and  farther  south  without  l)eing  able  to  descry  any  land 
at  all.  y\t  the  end  of  May  we  were  in  S2'  21'  N.  lat. ; 
on  June  4,  in  (S2"  18'.  I^y  J  me  15  we  had  drifted  north- 
west into  tS2"  26',  and  shoul^l  not  then  ha\-e  been  more 
than  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Cape  Fligely.  We  still, 
however,  could  see  no  land.  This  became  more  and  more 
puzzling,  and  the  state  of  the  ice  grew  continually  worse. 
At  last,  on  June  22,  we  shot  a  large  seal,  and  now  deter- 
mined to  wait  until  the  snow  melted,  in  the  mean  time 
living  upon  seal's  llesh.  A  little  later  we  shot  three  bears, 
and  we  now  had  abundance  of  food,  so  that  our  two 
remaining  dogs  could  be  well  fed  on  raw  meat.  It  was 
not  until  July  22  that  we  once  more  set  out  over  tolerably 
good  ice,  and  two  davs  later  we  at  length  came  in  sight  of 
unknown  land.  We  were  then  in  about  <S2°  N.  lat,,  but 
we  were  to  hax-e  a  hard  struggle  to  reach  this  land. 

One  day  during  that  time  we  had  an  adventure  which 
might  liave  been  much  more  serious.  We  were  just 
about  to  cross  a  channel  in  the  ice  in  our  kaiaks.     This 


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NAXSEN  IN  THK   FROZEN  WORLD 


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was  generally  accomi^lishecl  by  tying  the  two  kaiaks 
together  on  the  iee,  then  plaeing  them  on  the  water,  and, 
after  creeping  with  the  dogs  out  on  to  the  deck,  paddling 
across.  This  tinie  we  had  just  brought  my  kaiak  up  to 
the  edge  of  the  floe,  and  while  I  was  busy  with  it  Johan- 
sen  turned  back  to  draw  up  his  kaiak  beside  it.  Suddenly 
I  heard  a  noise  behind  me,  and,  turning,  saw  Johansen  on 
his  back  with  a  bear  over  him,  and  holding  the  bear  by 
the  throat.  I  caught  at  my  gun,  which  lay  on  the  fore- 
deck  of  my  kaiak  ;  but  at  the  same  moment  the  boat  slid 
into  the  water,  and  the  gun  with  it.  13y  exerting  ill  my 
strength  I  hauled  the  heavily  laden  kaiak  up  again,  but 
while  doing  so  I  heard  Johansen  quietly  remark,  "  You 
must  hurry  up  if  you  don't  want  to  be  too  late."  At  last 
I  got  the  gun  out  of  its  case  ;  and  as  I  turned  round  with 
it  cocked,  the  bear  was  just  in  front  of  me.  In  the  hurry 
of  the  moment  I  had  cocked  the  right  barrel,  which  was 
loaded  with  shot ;  but  the  charge  took  effect  behind  the 
ear,  and  the  bear  fell  down  dead  between  us.  The  only 
wound  Johansen  had  received  was  a  slight  scratch  on  the 
back  of  one  hand,  and  we  went  on  our  way  well  laden 
with  fresh  bear's  flesh. 

The  current  was  strong,  and  the  ice  was  broken  up  all 
over  into  small  flocs.  The  channels  between  were,  as  a 
rule,  filled  with  small  ice-pieces  and  crush.ed  ice,  making 
it  impossible  to  use  our  kaiaks.  We  therefore  had  .o  leap 
from  one  block  of  ice  to  another,  dragging  our  sledges 
after  us,  with  the  constant  fear  of  seeing  them  upset  into 
the  water.  We  continued  this  for  a  fortnight,  and  it  was 
not  until  August  6  that  we  reached  land  in  8i°  38'  N.  lat, 
and  63°  E.  long.  This  first  land  consisted  of  four  entirely 
glacier-covered  islands,  which  I  called  Hirttenland,  after 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE   EXPEDITION 


281 


an  old  Norwegian  fairy  talc.  Along  the  north  side  of 
these  islands  there  was  oj)en  water,  upon  which  we  rowed 
westward  in  our  kaiaks.  When  we  reached  this  open 
water  there  was  little  prospect  of  our  having  much  more 
use  for  the  two  do^s  we  still  had  left ;  and  as  it  was  not  a 
little  inconvenient  to  take  them  with  us  on  the  sea,  we 
shot  them  and  left  them  on  the  drift  ice. 

In  these  waters  we  made  a  remarkable  ornitholofjical 
discovery;  for  as  long  as  we  were  in  the  neighborhood  of 
these  islands  we  daily  saw  numbers  of  the  hitherto  so 
rare,  so  mysterious,  and  so  little  known  Ross's  gull  [Kodo- 
stetia  rosea).  This,  the  most  markedly  jjolar  of  all  bird 
forms,  is  easily  recognizable  from  other  species  of  gull  by 
its  beautiful  rose-colored  breast,  its  wedge-shaped  tail,  and 
airy  flight.  It  is  without  comparison  the  most -beautiful 
of  all  the  animal  forms  of  the  frozen  regions.  Hitherto  it 
has  only  been  seen  by  chance  on  the  utmost  confines  of 
the  unknown  Polar  Sea,  and  no  one  knew  whence  it  came 
or  whither  it  went ;  but  here  we  had  unexpectedly  come 
upon  its  native  haunt,  and,  although  it  was  too  late  in  the 
year  to  find  its  nests,  there  could  be  no  doubt  about  its 
breeding  in  this  region. 

During  the  next  few  days,  a  thick  fog  prevented  us 
from  discovering  land  south  of  these  islands ;  but  on 
August  1 2  the  fog  lifted  a  little,  and  an  extensive  land,  or 
rather  a  chain  of  islands,  now  lay  before  us  to  the  west 
and  south,  extending  from  the  southeast  right  up  to  the 
northwest.  This  was  more  and  more  puzzling.  There 
was  nothing  to  be  found  in  Payer's  map  agreeing  with  it. 
I  thought  we  must  be  very  nearly  in  the  same  longitude 
as  Austria  Sound ;  but  if  this  was  correct,  we  were  now 
in  the  act  of  sailing  right  across  Wilczek  Land  and  the 


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282 


NANS  EN  JN  HIE  JROZEN  WOKLD 


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Dove  Glacier,  without  j^etting  a  glimpse  of  any  land  near. 
Nor  could  1  discover  any  indication  of  y\ustria  Sound  in 
its  northern  ])art ;  and  Rawlinson's  vSound,  too,  had  van- 
ished. It  is  therefore  scarcely  surjirising  that  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  niust  be  some  considerable  error 
in  our  longitude.  How,  indeed,  this  could  be  was  not 
clear  to  me  ;  but  I  concluded  that  either  our  watches 
must  have  gone  completely  wrong  of  late,  or  that  during 
the  three  days  before  April  12  we  had  drifted  a  most  re- 
markable distance.  However  this  might  be,  I  could  only 
suppose  that  we  had  now  arrived  at  the  unknown  west 
coast  of  I'lanz  Josef  Land,  or  to  that  m)sterious  land 
which  always  on  majis  goes  by  the  name  of  Gilis  Land, 
and  which  is  generally  ])laced  between  T'ranz  Josef  Land 
and  Spit'/bergen.  Of  one  thing,  however,  I  was  certain ; 
namely,  that  by  steering  south  and  southwest  we  must  at 
last  come  to  Spitzbergen,  our  actual  goal,  where  we  should 
find  Norwegian  walrus-sloojxs,  which  could  take  us  home 
at  once.  We  therefore  continued,  now  paddling,  now 
drau-ointj  over  the  ice,  westward  throuuh  a  sound  which 
lay  in  81°  30'  N.  lat.  I  Laving  got  through  this,  we  found 
a  large  piece  of  oj^en  water,  upon  which  we  paddled  south- 
west along  the  northwest  shore  of  the  land,  hoping  soon 
to  be  able  to  cross  over  the  sea  to  Spitzbergen.  \\\  vain 
did  we  search  for  land  in  the  west.  On  August  18  a 
wind  from  the  sea  suddenly  drove  the  ice  in  toward  the 
shore,  and  we  were  imprisoned  for  a  week.  After  again 
continuing  our  journey  for  a  day  or  two,  w^  were  once 
more  imprisoned,  on  26th  August,  in  about  81°  13'  N. 
lat.  and  55.]"  E.  long.  The  autumn  was  now  so  far  ad- 
vanced that  I  considered  it  would  be  too  late  to  begin  the 
long   journey    to   Spitzbergen,  where  we  could    scarcely 


V. 
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NANS  UN  IN  THE  FROZEN  W'OKJ.D 


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cxjjcct  to  arrive  in  time  to  find  any  shij)s  going  home,  and 
where  we  sht)uld  accordingly  have  to  winter  without  hav- 
ing time  enough  to  lay  in  provisions  and  make  j)repara- 
tions  for  it.  As  the  place  we  had  reached  seemed  well 
t'ltted  for  wintering  in,  and  there  appeared  to  be  sufficient 
opportunity  for  getting  game,  we  thought  it  safest  to  stop 
here  and  j)repare  for  the  winter. 

We  immediately  set  to  work  to  shoot  walrus,  the  blub- 
ber of  which  we  intended  to  use  for  firing.  lH)r  two  men, 
however,  the  manipulation  of  these  huge  animals  was 
attended  with  considerable  toil.  We  had  at  last  to  give 
up  dragging  them  uj)  on  land  or  on  to  the  ice,  and  our 
only  expedient  was  to  lie  on  them  in  the  water  while  re- 
moving the  hide  and  blubber,  during  which  process  we 
succeeded  in  getting  our  only  clothes  thoroughly  satu- 
rated with  oil  and  dirt,  thus  rendering  them  peculiarly 
unfitted  for  protection  against  the  winter  cold  and  storms. 
There  was  no  scarcity  of  bears,  and  we  shot  tliem  for  our 
winter  store  of  food.  After  having  laid  in  a  temporary 
supply,  we  set  to  work  on  our  hut,  which  was  built  of 
stone,  earth,  and  moss.  How  we  were  to  roof  it  seemed 
at  first  a  difiFicult  problem  to  solve.  P'ortunately,  how- 
ever, we  found  a  piece  of  timber  cast  up  on  the  shore. 
This  we  used  as  the  ridgepiece  of  the  house,  and  stretched 
walrus  hides  over  it,  weis^hted  at  the  edges  on  both  sides 
with  large  stones.  On  the  top  of  this  we  laid  snow.  To 
build  a  chininey  was  not  easy,  as  we  had  not  the  stones 
necessary.  Our  only  expedient  was  therefore  to  build  it 
of  ice  and  snow,  which  had  to  be  renewed,  however,  two 
or  three  times  in  the  course  of  the  winter. 

For  cooking,  lighting,  and  heating,  we  used  walrus 
blubber  and  bear's  fat.     Bear's  flesh  and  fat  was  our  only 


THE   GREAT  ULEDGE  EXEEDITION 


2S5 


food.  In  the  evening  we  fried  it  in  a  large  ahiniiniuni 
frying-pan  ;  in  the  morning  we  boiled  it.  We  made  our 
bed  and  sleeping-bag  of  bear-skin.  To  keep  warmer,  we 
both  slei)l  in  one  bag,  and,  taken  altogether,  we  were 
quite  comfortable  in  our  low  hut,  of  which  a  great  part 
lay  below  the  level  of  the  ground,  and  was  therefore  fairly 
well  i)rotected  from  the  violent  winter  storms  which  con- 
tinually raged  above  it.  By  the  helj)  of  our  lamps  we 
succeeded  in  keeping  the  temperature  inside  at  about 
freezing-point,  while  on  the  walls  it  was,  of  course,  consid- 
erably lower.  These  were  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of 
fiGst  and  ice,  which  in  the  lamplight  imparted  a  beautiful 
marmoreal  apj^earance  to  the  walls  of  the  hut,  so  that  in 
our  ha])pier  moments  we  could  dream  that  we  dwelt  in 
marble  halls.  The  hut  was  about  ten  feet  long,  six  feet 
broad,  and  high  enough  in  some  places  to  allow  of  our 
standing  almost  erect.  Our  couch  was  formed  of  rough 
stones  ;  we  never  quite  succeeded  in  getting  it  even  tol- 
erably level,  and  our  most  important  business  throughout 
the  winter  was,  therefore,  to  bend  the  body  into  the  most 
varied  positions  in  order  to  discover  the  one  in  which  the 
pressure  of  the  stones  was  least  felt. 

We  had  no  work  which  could  help  to  make  the  time 
pass :  we  did  little  else  than  sleep,  cat,  and  then  sleep 
again.  If  any  one  still  holds  the  old  belief  that  scurvy 
arises  from  want  of  exercise,  this  is  a  striking  proof  that 
such  is  not  the  case.  Strange  to  say,  our  appetites  con- 
tinued unimpaired  the  whole  time,  and  we  always  con- 
sumed our  bear's  flesh  and  our  fat  with  the  same  voracity. 
When  the  weather  permitted,  we  would  take  an  hour's 
walk  every  day  in  the  dark  outside  the  hut ;  but  often  it 
was  so  stormy  that  it  was  not  expedient  to  put  one's  nose 


*.  .'li 


■'  i 


r86 


NANS  F.N  /N  THE  FROZEN  WORI.D 


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r: 


k: 


beyond  the  passage  wliicl)  led  to  our  palace.  Several  days 
would  often  j)ass  in  which  we  lay  (piite  still,  until  at  last  a 
scarcity  of  ice  to  melt  for  drinking-water,  or  of  food,  com- 
pelled us  to  go  out  to  fetch  ice  or  to  drag  in  the  carcass  or 
leg  of  a  bear.  After  November  we  were  not  visited  again 
by  bears  until  March,  and  our  only  company  in  the  winter 
was  a  ihuuIkt  of  foxes  which  constantly  sat  upon  the  roof 
of  oui-  hut,  whence  we  could  hear  their  perpetual  gnawing 
at  our  fro/en  meat.  It  made  us  often  dream  that  we 
were  sitting  comfortably  at  home  listening  to  the  rats  in 
the  loft  above;  and  we  by  no  means  grudged  them  a 
little  of  all  our  abundance.  These  foxes  were  of  both  the 
white  variety  and  the  valuable  dark-furred  kind,  and  had 
we  been  so  inclined  we  could  easily  have  laid  by  a  good 
store  of  valuable  furs.  Our  supply  of  ammunition,  how- 
ever, was  not  so  large  as  to  allow,  in  my  opinion,  of  our 
sjicnding  it  upon  them,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  bears 
were  the  smallest  game  that  could  give  us  any  return  for 
our  cartridges. 

Ui)on  the  whole,  the  winter  passed  in  a  manner  beyond 
our  expectation.  Our  health  was  excellent ;  and  if  we 
had  only  had  a  few  books,  a  little  flour,  and  a  little  sugar, 
we  were  both  agreed  that  we  could  have  lived  like  lords. 

At  last  came  spring  with  sunshine  and  birds.  How 
well  I  remember  that  first  evening,  a  few  days  before  the 
sun  had  appeared  above  the  horizon,  when  we  suddenly 
saw  a  flock  of  little  auks  {rotgcs)  sail  past  us  along  the 
mountains  to  the  north.  It  was  like  the  first  greetinc: 
from  life  and  spring.  Many  followed  in  their  train,  and 
soon  the  mountains  around  us  swarmed  with  these  little 
summer  visitors  of  the  north,  which  enlivened  everything 
with  their  cheerful  twittering.     A  dark  sky,  which  we  had 


\\ 


THE   GNIwlT  S/./'lDGF.    EXrEDfTlON 


287 


had  tlic  whole  wiiUcr,  but  especially  now  in  the  s|)riiiL;,  in 
the  south  aiul  southwest,  sccincd  to  imjjly  that  there  must 
be  water  iu  that  direction,  of  which  it  was  a  reflection. 
We  had,  therefore,  every  hope  of  nialcing  a  (|uick  and 
easy  voya«;e  in  our  kaiaks  across  to  Sj)it/,beri;en,  partly 
over  open  water,  jjartly  over  drift  ice  ;  and  as  daylight 
had  now  returned,  we  busied  ourselves  in  preparations  for 
this  journey. 

There  was  much,  however,  to  be  done  before  we  could 
set  off.  Our  clothes  were  so  worn  out  and  so  saturated 
with  fat  and  dirt,  that  they  were  anything-  but  suitable  for 
a  journey  of  this  kind.  W'e  therefore  made  ourselves 
two  entire  new  suits  out  of  two  blankets  we  had  brought 
with  us.  Our  underclothing  we  tiied  to  wash  as  best  we 
could,  but  never  before  ditl  I  know  what  it  was  to  exist 
without  soaj).  It  was  difficult  enough  to  get  one's  person 
clean,  but  this  we  managed  to  a  certain  extent  by  rubbing 
in  bear's  blood  and  fat,  and  then  rubbing  this  off  with 
moss.  P)Ut  this  process  was  not  ajiplicable  to  clothes. 
After  trying  every  possible  way,  we  found,  in  our  despair, 
no  other  expedient  than  to  boil  them  as  best  we  could, 
and  then  scrape  them  with  a  knife.  In  this  way  we  got 
so  much  off  them  that  they  did  to  travel  with,  though  the 
thought  of  putting  on  clean  clothes  when  we  once  more 
got  back  to  Norway  was  always  in  our  minds  as  the 
greatest  enjoyment  that  life  could  bestow.  We  had  to 
make  a  new  slccping-bag  of  bear-skins,  which  we  dried 
and  prepared  by  stretching  them  out  under  the  roof  of 
our  hut.  Our  good,  precious  silk  tent,  which  we  had  had 
during  the  whole  of  the  preceding  year's  journey,  had  at 
last,  during  the  autumn  storms,  become  so  worn  out  that 
I  did  not  think  it  could  be  used  any  more.     We  were 


r;< 


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NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


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now,  therefore,  obliged  to  employ  our  sledge  sails  as  a 
tent.  Our  provisions  for  the  journey  were  chiefly  bear's 
flesh  and  fat,  and  our  fuel  was  train  oil  and  blubber,  and 
we  were  sure  of  finding  sufficient  game  on  the  way  when 
the  provisions  we  took  with  us  gave  out. 

At  length,  on  May  19,  we  were  ready,  and  started 
southward  in  short  day's  marches.  On  May  23,  in  81° 
5'  N.  lat.,  we  came  to  the  open  water,  of  which,  during 
the  whole  winter  and  spring,  we  had  seen  the  reflection 
above  the  horizon  ;  and  we  now  rejoiced  at  the  thought 
of  going  south  in  our  kaiaks.  Storms,  however,  detained 
us  until  June  3.  These  storms  had  caused  the  ice  to  set 
in  and  block  the  water,  so  that  we  now  went  south  over 
the  ice,  a  favorable  wind  permitting  us  to  make  use  of 
sails  on  our  sledges,  so  that  we  got  on  at  a  good  rate.  A 
little  farther  south  we  found  extensive  tracts  of  land, 
whose  rorthern  coast  stretched  in  a  westerly  direction. 
To  the  west-northwest  along  this  coast  lay  open  water. 
I  was  in  doubt  for  a  while  as  to  whether  we  ouo;ht  not 
to  take  to  the  water,  and  go  on  in  that  direction,  but 
thought  that  this  would  again  take  us  too  far  north,  and 
therefore  preferred  to  steer  south  over  flat  ice  through  a 
broad,  unknown  sound.  Here,  too,  a  favorable  wind  per- 
mitted the  employment  of  sails  on  our  sledges,  and  we 
went  along  at  a  really  considerable  speed. 

On  June  12  we  at  last  reached  the  south  side  of  the 
group  of  islands,  and  there  came  upon  a  large  open  piece 
of  water,  extendinfj  westward  alonq;  the  south  coast. 
The  wind  was  still  favorable.  By  tying  together  our  two 
kaiaks,  rigging  up  a  bamboo  rod  as  mast  on  them,  and 
then  hoistins:  our  sledc:e  sails,  we  were  now  able  to  sail 
upon  this  open  water  along  the  coast,  and  in  this  way 


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NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


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made  good  progress.  When  the  wind  dropped  or  became 
less  favorable,  we  took  down  our  sails  and  paddled  on. 

In  this  way  we  began  to  approach  the  southwestern 
point  of  the  group  of  islands,  and  rejoiced  at  the  thought 
of  being  able  to  cross  over  to  Spitzbergcn,  where  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks  we  were  certain  to  be  on  board  a 
homeward-bound  Norwegian  vessel. 

As  we  passed  along  this  coast  we  noticed  hew  remark- 
ably the  latitude  I  obtained  by  my  observations  agreed 
with  the  latitude  that  Leigh-Smith  had  found  for  the 
south  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land.  It  was  also  remarka- 
ble how  well,  both  in  direction  and.  appearance,  this  coast 
seemed  to  agree  with  Leigh-Smith's  map ;  and  I  there- 
fore began  to  suspect  that  in  spite  of  everything  we  were 
still  on  the  south  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  and  had 
com.e  south  through  a  wide  sound  cuttincj  straight  across 
Zichy  Land,  which  has  hitherto  been  regarded  as  con- 
tinuous, but  now  resolves  itself  into  a  chain  of  small 
islands. 

During  our  voyage  along  this  south  coast  we  had  sev- 
eral mishaps,  which,  however,  ended  happil)-.  One  day, 
when  we  had  been  sailing  along  the  shore,  we  lay  to  in 
the  evening  to  the  ice  to  reconnoitre  our  farther  way 
westward.  In  leaving  the  kaiaks,  we  made  them  fast  to 
the  ice  by  a  strong  strap,  which  we  thought  was  perfectly 
reliable.  While  we  Vv-ere  a  little  way  off  on  the  top  of  a 
hummock,  however,  we  discovered  that  our  linked  boats 
had  broken  from  their  moorings  and  were  rapidly  drift- 
ing away  from  the  ice,  carried  along  by  the  wind.  All 
our  provisions  were  on  board,  our  whole  outfit,  our  guns, 
and  our  ammunition.  There  we  stood  upon  the  ice,  en- 
tirely without  resource.     Our  only  safety  lay  in  reaching 


(^ 

« 


MM 


MM 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE   EXPEDITION 


291 


\ 
"i 

■ 


our  kaiaks,  and  I  had  no  choice  but  to  spring  into  the 
water  and  try  to  reach  tliem  by  swimming. 

It  was,  however,  a  struggle  for  Hfe,  for  the  kaiaks 
seemed  to  drift  more  rapidly  before  the  wind  than  I  could 
swim  ;  the  icy  water  gradually  robbed  my  whole  body  of 
feeling,  and  it  became  more  and  more  difficult  to  use  my 
limbs.  At  length  I  reached  the  side  of  our  craft ;  but  it 
was  only  by  summoning  up  my  last  energies  that  I  finally 
succeeded  in  ixettinij:  on  board,  and  we  were  saved. 

Two  days  later  my  kaiak  was  attacked  by  a  walrus. 
These  monsters  had  tried  several  times  to  put  an  end  to 
us  by  suddenly  coming  up  from  below,  and  attacking  the 
kaiak  with  a  violent  blow,  which  might  easily  have  upset 
us,  but  this  they  had  hitherto  not  succeeded  in  doing. 
This  time,  however,  the  attack  was  more  violent.  The 
walrus  suddenly  pushed  up  beside  my  kaiak,  and,  laying- 
one  flipper  on  its  edge,  tried  to  upset  it,  at  the  same 
time  driving  its  long  tusks  into  the  bottom,  fortunately, 
however,  without  touching;  me.  I  manat>ed  to  uive  the 
walrus  such  a  blow  on  the  head  with  the  paddle  that  it 
rose  high  u})  out  of  the  water,  threatening  to  fall  uj^on 
me,  but  disappeared  the  next  moment  as  quickly  as  it  had 
come.  The  water  was  rushinij  into  the  kaiak  throui^h 
the  long  rent  made  in  the  bottom  by  the  walrus,  and  I 
w^as  sinking  rapidly,  and  only  at  the  last  moment  managed 
to  run  my  kaiak  on  to  a  floe  that  was  projecting  under 
the  water,  and  escaped  in  safety  from  the  boat  on  to  the 
ice.  The  next  day  was  employed  in  repairing  the  kaiak, 
and  in  drying  clothes,  outfit,  photographic  apparatus,  etc., 
which  were  all  soaked  with  sea-water,  though  fortunately 
no  real  harm  was  done. 

The  following  day,  when   we   were  ?bout  to  continue 


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our  journey,  and  as  I  was  just  preparing  breakfast  before 
starting.  1  went  uj)  on  to  a  hummoek  to  reconnoitre  land- 
ward. As  I  stood  there,  jiuffs  of  wind  came  across  to 
me  from  the  land,  carrying  a  confused  noise  from  the 
thousands  of  loons  and  other  sea-birds  which  inhabited 
the  mountains  there.  As  I  was  listeninii[  to  all  these  bird- 
voices,  1  suddenly  started  at  a  completely  different  sound, 
which  so  much  resembled  the  barking  of  a  dog  that  for 
a  moment  it  seemed  to  me  that  there  could  be  no  doubt 
of  its  beiuLT  this.  But  then  it  was  once  more  lost  in  the 
noise  of  the  birds,  and  I  thouiiht  I  must  have  been  mis- 
taken.  Afjain,  however,  the  wind  brouLjht  over  a  fresh 
stream  of  sound,  which  left  no  doubt  whatever  of  there 
actually  being  dogs  in  the  neighborhood.  1  ran  down 
and  waked  Johansen  in  the  sleeping-bag  by  saying,  "  I 
ha\'e  heard  dogs  !  "  But  I  could  not  make  him  compre- 
hend, so  I  gulped  down  my  breakfast,  put  on  my  ski,  and 
dashed  off  across  the  ice.  As  I  apjn-oached  the  shore  I 
saw  a  man  coming  toward  me.  It  was  Mr.  Jackson,  and 
hearty  was  the  handshake  with  which  be  welcomed  me. 

[In  order  to  make  the  narrative  more  complete,  as  well 
as  to  mve  merited  recoij^nition  to  one  of  the  leading  recent 
enterprises  in  the  field  of  Arctic  research,  we  will  say  that 
the  gentleman  whom  Dr.  Nansen  so  opportunely  met  at 
this  critical  time  was  Mr.  F.  G.  Jackson,  leader  of  the 
Jackson-Harmsworth  expedition  which  left  England  in 
1894.  Very  soon  after  the  meeting  of  these  explorers 
one  of  the  members  o^  the  Jackson  party  came  to  the 
Nansen  camp.  He  was  closely  followed  by  four  compan- 
ions. They  all  gave  Lieutenant  Johansen  a  cordial  greet- 
ing, and  then  escorted  him  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
expedition. 


I 


f 


THE   GREAT  SLEDGE   EXrEDITIOX 


293 


MEETING   OF   DR.  NANSEN    AND    MR.   JACKSON    IN    FRANZ   JOSEF   LAND,  JUNE,  1896 
(Bji  permission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth,  of  the  Jackson-Hartusiuorth  expedition) 


Before  organizing  this  expedition  Mr.  Jackson  had  seen 
a  good  deal  of  Arctic  work,  and  had  won  distinction  by 
making,  in  connection  with  his  investigations,  a  sledge 
journey  of  four  thousand  miles.  For  a  long  time  he  had 
desired  to  explore  Franz  Josef  Land  and  the  area  to  the 
north  of  this  comparatively  unknown  region..    His  plans 


iliili 


n 


li  li 


Ill 


fi 


I  ^ 


)  :i 


11 


i 


II 


294 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FRO/. EN  WORLD 


were  carefully  laid,  and  they  seemed  so  practicable  that 
he  was  enabled,  under  the  most  favorable  conditi')ns,  to 
make  an  effort  to  put  them  into  execution.  He  found  a 
munificent  patron  in  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Harmsworth,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  wljo  not  only  con- 
sented to  bear  the  whole  expense  of  the  expedition,  but 
also  gave  a  great  deal  of  time  and  personal  effort  in 
securing  as  complete  an  equipment  as  it  was  possible  to 
obtain. 

A  whaler  named  the  Wmdivard,  an  exceedingly  strong 
ship  which  had  been  constructed  with  special  reference  to 
service  in  the  ice,  was  purchased  and  transformed  into  a 
steam  yacht.  Several  boats  of  different  types  were  built, 
and  seventeen  sledges,  of  an  improved  pattern  designed 
by  Mr.  Jackson,  were  made.  Tents,  materials  ready  to  be 
put  together  for  houses,  and  a  large  supply  of  excellent 
scientific  instruments  also  formed  a  part  of  the  outfit. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Arctic  exploration  a 
few  ponies  were  taken  for  use  in  travelling  and  in  hauling 
loads.  These  were  obtained  at  Archangel,  and  thirty 
dogs  were  secured  from  Western  Siberia. 

The  Windward  sailed  from  Gv^enhithe  on  the  after- 
noon of  July  1 1,  left  Archangel  early  in  August,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Franz  Josef  Land.  At  Cape  Flora,  Jackson, 
with  his  few  companions,  established  his  headquarters. 
The  settlement,  which  consisted  of  seven  huts,  was  named 
Elmwood.  The  Windward  returned  home,  and  was  on 
her  second  voyage  to  the  station  when  Nansen  and 
Johansen  became  the  guests  of  its  inmates. 

The  primary  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  make  a 
thorough  exploration  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  both  of  the 
coast  and  of  the  interior,  and  thus  determine  whether  it 


») 


*i 


THE    GREAT  SLEDGE  EXFEDITION 


295 


is  the  southern   portion  of  a  great  polar  continent  or  a 
collection  of  islands.      In  this  work  Mr.  Jackson  has  been 
very  successful,  having  discovered   many  islands,  and   an 
important   body  of    water   which    he   has    named    Queen 
Victoria  Sea.     As  nearly  or  ([uite  all  that  is  required  in 
this  direction  has  been  performed,  it  is  understood  that  in 
the   spring   or   summer  of   the  present  year  (1^97),   Mr. 
Jackson  will  take  up  the  secondary,  though  very  interest- 
ing and  important  work  of  the  expedition,  and  either  upon 
the  open   water  or  the  frozen  surface  of  this  great  sea, 
according  to  its  condition  at  the  time,  commence  a  voyage 
or  a  journey  which  will  be  continued  as  far  as  possible 
toward  the  Pole.] 


I 


',  f 


1,^  '\ 


I 

1 


») 


m 


■(',: 


i 

f 

i  i 

«    » 


ml 
1    '1 

i  Mi' 

.    '!                1 

[  1  ■ 

I    [ 

ii' 

<                              i 

I    i 


'!■        I 


Fril 


cHAi*ri-:R  XVI 


IIOMKWARl)    HOUND 


We  were  received  here  with  a  liospitality  and  hearti- 
ness such  as  those  Arctic  surroundings  can  seldom  have 
witnessed  ;  and  thouirh  we  had  fullv  intended  to  u:o  on  our 
way  to  S|3itzl)eri;en,  which  would  i)robahly  be  our  quick- 
est way  home,  we  could  not  tear  ourselves  away  from  this 
hospitable  spot,  again  renounce  all  the  ease  and  comfort 
which  were  here  offered  to  us,  and  once  more  take  our 
pilgrim's  staff  into  our  hand.  We  decided  to  accept  the 
kind  invitation  to  wait  for  the  lVm(/7uar{/,  which  was  soon 
to  arrive,  and  then  again  return  to  Europe. 

Never  shall  I  fonj^et  how  deliiihtful  it  was,  as  soon  as 
we  entered  Jackson's  comfortably  arranged  house,  to  have 
a  warm  bath.  It  was  not,  indeed,  possible  to  become 
clean  the  first  time,  but  still  it  imparted  a  feeling  of  clean- 
liness ;  and  then  delightfully  soft,  clean  woollen  garments 
to  follow,  to  be  shaved  and  have  one's  hair  cut,  have  a 
capital  dinner,  coffee,  cigars,  port  wine,  and,  last  but  not 
least,  books  and  the  latest  literature  (tw^o  years  old,  indeed, 
but  new  to  us)  —  in  short,  we  felt  all  at  once  transported, 
as  if  by  the  stroke  of  a  magic  wand,  into  the  heart  of  civ- 
ilization. The  attention,  the  consideration,  wjtich  every 
member  of  this  expedition  offered  us  was  touching,  and 
made  an  indelible  impression  on  both  of  us.  It  seemed 
as  if  their  aim  was  to  soften  by  their  kindness  the  recol- 
lection of  last  winter's  loneliness  and  dreariness. 


■ 


HOME  n  ARl)    /)' O  i  iXD 


2( 


'J  7 


nn.    NANSKN,    AS     PHO  lOCR  AI'irr.D     BY     MR.     JACKSON      IMMEDI  AIT.r.Y     AFII  K     Til  Ml  K 
MKKTINC.    IN    KKANZ   JOSKK    LAND,    IN     IfNi:,    1S96 

{By  perviission  of  Mr.  Alfred  C.  llarms^vorth,  of  the  Jaiksoii-Hariiisiuorth  ex/>fi/ilu»i.) 


We  now  discovered  that  my  suspicions,  as  indicated 
above,  were  correct.  We  were  actually  on  the  south  coast 
of  Franz  Josef  Land,  and  had  arrived  at  Cape  r""lora,  on 
Northbrook  Island.  Our  observations  and  determination 
of  longitude  were  fairly  correct,  in  spite  of  everything, 
and  our  chronometers  proved  lo  have  been  right.  On 
the    other   hand,   there    were    mistakes    in    Payer's    map. 


298 


NAASEN  IN  TIJK   FRO/JiN   WORLD 


iili : 


1'    \ 


' 


1:« 

I: 


K 


which  had  put  nic  on  the  wrong  track — mistakes  of 
which  I  have  not  yet  found  an  exjihuiation,  l)ut  will  find, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  on  conferring  more  closely  with  I'ayer 
himself. 

The  broad  sound  through  which  we  had  come  south 
this  spring  lay  just  a  little  west  of  Austria  Sound,  and 
was  considerably  larger  than  the  last-named  sound.  It 
had  already  been  traversed  by  Jackson,  and  called  by  him 
the  British  Channel. 

During  the  winter  we  had  been  encamped  just  to  the 
west  of  Austria  Sound,  on  an  island  which  I  have  called 
Frederick  Jackson's  Island.  Before  we  set  out  on  our 
expedition,  I  stated,  in  my  lecture  before  the  Royal  (Geo- 
graphical Society,  my  opinion  that  Franz  Josef  Land  was 
only  a  group  of  islands.  This  opinion  has  now  been 
fully  confirmed.  Franz  Josef  Land  is  not  only  a  group 
of  islands,  but  a  group  of  little  islands  of  such  small 
extent  as  perhaps  no  one  had  thought  possible.  In  my 
opinion  the  islands  forming  Franz  Josef  Land  may  l3e 
considered  as  a  continuation  of  East  Spitzbergen,  and  the 
most  important,  most  interesting  subject  yet  to  be  worked 
out  is  the  exploration  of  the  still  unknown  western  part 
of  Franz  Josef  Land  and  its  connection  with  Spitzbergen. 
In  this  region  there  are  probably  many  new  islands  which 
it  is  to  be  hoped  Jackson  and  his  expedition  will  have  an 
opportunity  of  discovering  and  charting.  How  far  north 
the  islands  extend  it  is  not  yet  possible  to  determine,  but 
it  is  scarcely  likely  to  be  very  far. 

I  will  not  venture  an  opinion  as  to  whether  Petermann 
Land  has  any  existence  ;  our  course  was  so  easterly  that 
it  may  well  have  been  too  far  off  to  be  seen ;  but  in  that 
case  it  must  be  an  island  of  inconsiderable  extent.     The 


(1 


no  MEW  AND   liOi'M) 


J99 


wliolc  of  tluit  |)arl  t)f  I'laii/  JDScf  Liuul  traversed  l)y  us 
consisted  of  basalt,  and  has  once  formed  a  continuous 
basaltic  land,  which  is  now,  iiowever,  by  numerous  chan- 
nels and  fjords,  cut  up  into  small  islands,  entirely  or  in 
great  measure  covered  with  glaciers,  and  where  only  here 
and  there  alon<j:  the  shore  the  dark  basaltic  rocks  are 
visible.  As  a  rule  the  land  does  not  rise  to  a  height  of 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  only  occasionally  did  the  gla- 
ciers seem  to  apj)roach  to  a  height  of  3,000  feet.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  country  there  is,  beneath  the  basalt,  a 
deep  stratum  of  clay  which  extends  to  a  height  of  from 
"00  to  600  feet  above  the  sea,  and  which  belongs  to  the 
Jura  formation,  and  where  both  Dr.  Koetlitz,  of  the  Jack- 
son expedition,  and  I  found  numerous  fossils  of  various 
kinds,  chiefly  Ammonites  and  Belemnites,  which  leave  no 
doubt  as  to  its  age.  As  far  as  I  can  for  the  present  say,  a 
large  part  of  this  clay  belongs  to  the  so-called  Oxford  clay. 
Lignite  and  fossil  wood  were  also  common  in  these  clay 
strata.  In  a  few  places  numerous  fossil  plants  were  also 
found,  whose  age  I  have  not  yet  had  time  to  determine,  but 
which  probably  belong  to  a  later  formation  than  the  Jura. 
In  the  mean  time  the  days  at  Cape  Flora  passed  imper- 
ceptibly. We  spent  our  time  partly  in  making  scientific 
excursions  of  small  extent,  partly  in  reading,  writing,  and 
preparing  a  map  of  our  route  across  Franz  Josef  Land 
as  it  appeared,  according  to  our  investigations,  to  be.  In- 
cessantly did  we  scan  the  horizon  in  expectation  of  the 
Windward^  the  ship  which  was  to  come  from  Europe  ; 
but  a  great  quantity  of  ice  lay  in  the  sea  outside,  no 
sail  appeared  on  the  horizon,  and  as  time  went  on  we  be- 
came more  and  more  impatient,  and  more  and  more  often 
did  anxious  remarks  fall  on  the  possibility  of  the  ice  hin- 


III 


!.  if^ 


300 


N.tNSEN  IN  THE  J'RO/J.y  U'OHLD 


w 


A\  i: 


f  »i 


I  I 


,1' 


It -I 

If] 


(Icriiii;  the  Windward  from  comini^  in  this  year.  When 
a  month  had  |)assecl,  Johansen  and  I  hei^an  to  rej)ent  a 
little  tliat  we  had  stoj)|)ed  here,  and  had  not  i^one  straight 
on  to  S|)it/hergen,  where  we  should  probably  long  before 
this  have  found  a  ship  and  been  on  our  way  home.  1 
began  to  think,  indeed,  of  setting  off  again,  as  I  was  un- 
willing to  risk  i)assing  another  winter  in  the  Aretie  re- 
gions. I  was  tolerably  eertain  that  the  /''nitii  would  come 
home  this  year,  and  would  then,  of  course,  throw  oiu- 
friends  into  the  greatest  anxiety  with  regard  to  our  fate; 
there  would  then   hardly  have  been  an\-  hope  at  home  of 


ever  seeing  us  again. 


At  length,  when  six  weeks  had  jjassed,  I  was  suddenly 
aroused  one  night  by  Mr.  Jackson  witli  the  news  that  the 
JVindiuard  had  arrived.  The  cheers  aiul  joyful  exclama- 
tions with  which  the  news  of  our  arrival  at  Cajje  Flora 
were  received  on  board  the  Windward  werej^roofs  of  such 
great  and  sincere  delight  that  we  could  hardly  have  e\- 
jiccted  greater  from  our  own  countrymen.  It  was  a  fresh 
demonstration  of  the  symjDathy  which  exists  between  the 
ICnglish  and  Norwegian  nations. 

The  stores  brought  for  the  Jackson  ex])edition  were 
soon  unshij^ped  from  the  Wi?id'ward,  and  by  the  aid  of 
sledges  dragged  over  the  ice  to  land.  In  less  than  a  week 
all  was  ready ;  and  as  soon  as  letters  and  telegrams  for 
home  were  written,  on  August  7,  we  went  on  board,  and 
the  Windward  weighed  anchor  to  make  for  home. 

On  board  the  ship  we  had  the  shortest  and  pleasantest 
homeward  journey  that  perhaps  any  Arctic  expedition  has 
ever  had.  We  again  experienced  PInglish  hospitality  to 
its  fullest  extent,  and  those  days  can  certainly  never  be 
forgotten  by  either  Johansen  or  myself. 


1 10 Ml:  WARD   nOUXD 


301 


TliciT  was  a  <;reat  deal  of  ici*  in  the  sea  Ixtween  I'ran/ 
Josef  Land  and  Nova  Zeiiihla,  aiul  it  would  certainly 
have  been  oidv  too  easy  to  run  the  hltle  U'lfKhoari^  ^o 
far  into  the  elosely  packed  ice  that  it  would  have  taken 
weeks  and  months  to  t^et  out  attain.  lUit  with  his  ureat 
experience  and  his  clear-si<;hte(lne>>  in  all  that  concerned 
ice  and  ice  navigation,  Ca|)tain  lirown,  the  old  whalei' 
under  whose  conmiand  the  IViiKhijaj-d  now  was,  knew 
how  to  (hid  iu^t  the  onlv  uav  that  would  be  certain  to 
take  us  throui;"h  220  miles  of  ice  out  into  the  open  sea  to 
the  Udilh  of  Nova  Zembla,  .md  thence  shape  a  straii^ht 
course  for  \'ard(').  where  we  arii\ed  on  Aui^iist  13,  six 
days  after  haviiv'-  left  Cape  I'lora. 

Thus  I  .md  one  man  of  my  e\i)edition  had  now  come 
to  our  native  land,  where  we  were  received  with  open 
arms.  Our  firs"^  cpiestion  after  settinjj;  foot  on  Norwegian 
soil  was  whether  anythini;-  had  been  heard  of  the  Fram 
and  our  comrades.  Our  fear  the  whole  winter  and  si)ring 
had  been  that  the  Fram  would  reach  home  before  us. 
To  our  relief,  however,  we  now  learned  that  nothing  had 
been  heard  of  the  Fram,  and  our  friends  had  been  saved 
from  unnecessary  anxiety.  I  telegraphed  immediately  to 
the  King  of  Norway  and  the  Norwegian  Government  that 
all  was  well  on  board  the  Fram  when  we  left  her,  and  that 
I  fully  expected  her  and  the  remaining  members  of  the 
expedition  home  again  safe  and  sound  in  a  short  time. 

Great,  then,  was  the  joy  when,  in  Hammcrfest,  on  Au- 
gust 2  1,1  received  a  telegram  from  Skjarvo,  a  little  j^ort 
not  far  off,  to  say  that  the  Fram  had  arrived  in  the  night, 
all  well  on  board. 


\  1' 


i 


;  ,>^ 


CHAPTER   XVII 


now  THE 


FRAM  "  FARED SVERDRUP's  STORY 


J 


lit 


When  I  left  the  Frain,  I  gave  instructions  to  Svordrup. 
Among  other  things  they  ran  thus:  "The  chief  aim  of  the 
expedition  is  to  push  through  the  unknown  Polar  Sea, 
from  the  district  around  New  Siberia  north  of  P>anz 
Josef  Land,  out  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  near  Spitzbergen 
or  Greenland.  The  princijjal  part  of  this  task  I  consider 
we  have  already  accomplished;  the  rest  will  be  accom- 
plished little  by  little  as  the  expedition  goes  farther  west. 
In  order  to  make  the  expedition  yet  more  productive,  I 
will  make  an  attempt  to  push  on  farther  to  the  north  with 
dogs.  Your  duty  will  then  be  to  bring  the  lives  hereby 
entrusted  to  you  home  by  the  safest  way,  and  not  to  ex- 
pose them  to  needless  danger,  either  out  of  regard  to  the 
ship,  cargo,  or  results  of  the  expedition. 

"  How  long  it  may  be  before  the  Fram  drifts  out  into 
open  water  no  one  can  tell.  You  have  provisions  for 
several  years  ;  but  should  it,  for  some  unknown  reason, 
take  too  long,  or  should  the  crew  begin  to  suffer  in  health, 
or  you  for  any  other  reason  consider  it  best  to  abandon 
the  vessel,  this  should  unquestionably  be  done.  At  what 
time  it  should  take  place,  as  also  the  way  that  ought  to 
be  chosen,  you  yourself  will  be  best  able  to  judge.  Should 
it  be  necessary,  I  consider  Franz  Josef  Land  ^nd  Spitz- 
bergen to  be  the  best  lands  to  make  for.  If  search  is 
made  for  the  expedition  after  Johansen's  and  my  arrival 


\  I 


% 

M.- 


CAI'TAIN    OTTO    NKUMANN    SVKKDIU:  1' 


I,    i\ 

31- 


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■i         \ 


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ri 


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fr*'! 


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^, 

■1 

I 


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r: 


304 


NAXSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN   WORLD 


liunie,  it  will  first  he  made  there.  When  you  come  to 
land  you  should  as  often  as  possible  erect  consjDicuous 
cairns  on  promontories  and  projecting;  headlands,  and 
within  each  cairn  place  a  short  statement  of  what  has 
been  done,  and  whither  you  are  going.  In  order  to  make 
these  cairns  distinguishable  from  others,  a  very  small 
cairn  should  be  erected  four  metres  from  the  large  one 
in  a  nt)rthward  direction  by  the  magnet.  What  outfit 
will  be  the  best  in  case  of  the  abandoninii  of  the  Frani  is 
a  question  we  have  so  often  discussed  that  I  consider  it 
superfluous  to  dwell  on  it  here.  I  know  that  you  will 
take  care  that  the  needful  number  of  kaiaks  for  all  the 
men,  sledges,  ski,  snow-shoes,  and  other  articles  of  outfit, 
are  put  in  order  as  soon  as  possible,  and  kept  in  readi- 
ness, so  that  such  a  journey  over  the  ice  could  be  under- 
taken with  the  greatest  possible  ease.  Information  as  to 
the  provisions  I  consider  most  suitable  for  a  journey  of 
this  kind,  and  the  quanticy  necessary  for  each  man,  I  give 
elsewhere. 

"  I  know,  too,  that  you  will  hold  everything  in  readi- 
ness to  abandon  the  Fravi  in  the  shortest  possible  time 
in  the  event  of  a  sudden  misfortune  befallin";  her  in  the 
shape  of  fire  or  pressure.  If  the  ice  permits,  I  consider 
it  advisable  that  there  should  always  be  a  depot,  with 
sufficient  provisions,  etc.,  upon  a  safe  place  on  the  ice, 
such  as  we  have  lately  had.  All  necessary  things  which 
cannot  be  upon  the  ice  ought  to  be  so  placed  on  board 
that  they  are  easy  to  get  at  under  any  circumstances.  As 
you  know,  there  are  only  concentrated  sledge  provisions 
now  in  the  depot;  but  as  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  ex- 
pedition might  have  to  remain  quiet  for  some  time  before 
setting  off,  it  would  be  extremely  desirable  to  save  as  much 


J  low   ThE     ''FRAM'    FARED 


305 


tinned  meat,  fish,  and  veijfL  tables  as  jjossible.  Should  dis- 
turbed times  come,  I  would  even  consider  it  advisable  to 
have  a  supply  of  these  articles  also  ready  on  the  ice. 

"  Should  the  Fratn  in  driftin<^  bear  far  to  the  north  of 
Spitzbergen  and  get  mto  tlie  current  under  the  east  coast 
of  Greenland,  many  possibilities  could  be  imagined,  which 
now  it  is  not  easy  to  form  any  opinion  about  ;  but  should 
you  be  obliged  to  abandon  the  Fraiu,  and  make  for  the 
land,  it  would  be  best  for  you  to  erect  cairns,  as  mentioned 
above,  there  too,  as  search  might  possibly  be  made  for  the 
expedition  there.  In  tliat  case,  whether  you  ought  to 
make  for  Iceland  (which  is  the  nearest  land,  and  whither 
you  would  be  able  to  go  in  the  sjiring  by  following  the 
edge  of  the  ice)  or  for  the  Danish  colonies  v.est  of  Caj^e 
Farewell,  you  will  be  better  able  to  judge  when  you  see 
the  circumstances. 

"  The  thincfs  that  ouu:ht  to  be  taken  with  vou,  if  the 
Fram  be  abandoned,  after  the  necessary  provisions,  are 
weapons,  ammunition,  and  outfit,  all  scientific  and  other 
journals,  observations,  all  scientific  collections  that  are  not 
too  heavy  (in  the  latter  case  small  sami)les  of  them),  pho- 
tographs, the  original  plates  by  preference,  or  if  they  are 
too  heavy,  then  copies  of  them  —  the  areometer,  with 
which  most  of  the  observations  on  the  specific  gravity 
of  sea-water  are  made,  besides,  of  course,  all  journals  and 
memoranda  w^hich  are  of  anv  interest.  I  leave  behind 
two  or  three  journals  and  letters  which  I  will  request 
you  to  take  especial  care  of,  and  deliver  to  my  wife,  if 
I  should  not  come  home,  or  you,  contrary  to  expectation, 
should  get  home  before  us. 

"  Hansen  and  Blessing  will,  as  you  know,  take  charge 
of  the  various  scientific  observations  and  collections;  you 
20 


!',   tl 


•;      I    I 


I 


i 


«< 


5  •  P 


■  ■I 


306 


NANSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


yourself  will  see  to  the  soundings,  and  that  they  are  taken 
as  often  as  opportunity  permits.  As  the  crew  was  small 
before,  and  will  now  be  still  further  reduced  by  two  men, 
some  work  may  fall  to  each  man's  lot ;  but  I  know  that  as 
far  as  possible  you  will  spare  men  to  assist  in  the  scientific 
observations,  and  make  these  as  complete  as  possible.  .  .  . 

"  In  conclusion,  I  wish  all  possible  success  to  you,  and 
those  for  whom  you  are  now  responsible  ;  and  may  we 
meet  again  in  Norway,  whether  it  be  on  board  this  vessel 
or  without  her." 

The  requests  I  had  here  set  down  Sverdrup  made  it  a 
matter  of  conscience  to  comply  with,  and  the  summer 
after  Johansen  and  I  had  left  the  Fram  was  employed, 
not  only  in  the  work  necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  vessel, 
but  in  making  the  outfit  required  for  a  sledge  journey 
over  the  ice  as  perfect  and  complete  as  could  well  be. 
And  never,  perhaps,  has  an  expedition  been  better  pre- 
pared for  leaving  their  vessel  than  this,  although  the  prob- 
abilities were  that  the  necessity  for  so  doing  would  not 
occur.  Light  canvas  kaiaks,  each  to  hold  two  men,  had 
already  been  partly  completed  on  board  before  I  left,  and 
sledges,  ski,  snow-shoes,  cooking  apparatus,  dog  harness, 
etc.,  were  all  tested  and  put  in  good  order,  and,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  orders  given,  provisions  were  kept  in  readi- 
ness. Before  we  left  the  ship  some  time  had  been  spent 
in  carting  away  the  piled-up  masses  of  ice  which  had  been 
forced  against  the  Frams  sides  during  the  pressure  of 
January,  1895,  and  the  removal  of  this  ice  was  continued 
after  we  left. 

At  the  end  of  March,  just  as  the  last  of  this  mass  had 
been  removed,  the  ice  cracked  in  all  directions  around  the 
ship,  and  a  broad  crack  was  formed  which  passed  at  the 


<';J! 


J/0  IV  THE   '' FRAM''   FARED  .307 

distance  of  a  few  feet  from  the  stern  of  the  vessel.  vSub- 
sequently  in  this  crack  there  was  great  jiressiire,  and  the 
ice  quite  split  up,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  the  Fram  lay 
in  open  water  by  the  end  of  July.  The  stern,  however, 
was  still  frozen  fast  in  a  great  block  of  ice.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  break  this  up  by  bb.sting,  which  seemed,  how- 
ever, at  the  time,  to  have  had  very  little  effect,  only  a  small 
crack  in  the  ice  appearing;  and  Sverdrup  was  standing  on 
the  ice  talking  with  some  of  his  companions  as  to  what 
more  should  be  done  to  get  ih.e  vessel  afloat,  when  they 
suddenly  noticed  that  she  was  slowly  beginning  to  move, 
and  before  they  were  aware  of  it  the  vessel  glided  from 
her  icy  slip  into  the  water  with  a  deafening  noise,  while 
the  spray  was  thrown  from  her  bows  in  e\ery  direction. 
It  was  like  the  launching  of  a  ship,  and  her  return  to  oj)en 
w'ater  was  welcomed  by  the  crew  with  ringing  cheers. 
That  year,  however,  the  Frams  freedom  did  not  last  long. 
B)^  warping  and  sawing  she  was  again  brought  into  a  safe 
haven,  and  in  August  was  again  frozen  fr,.^  t. 

At  first,  after  we  had  left  the  ship,  the  drift  was  not  of 
much  importance;  but  toward  the  end  of  .\{)ril  it  became 
somewhat  stronger  in  a  westerly  direction.  On  July  22, 
1895,  the  Fram  was  in  84°  50'  N,  lat.,  "i:^"  \l.  long.  At 
this  time  there  seemed  to  be  a  great  deal  of  movement  in 
the  ice,  and  strong  pressure  on  all  sides  in  the  vicinity. 
After  this  southwesterly  and  westerly  winds  set  in,  which 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  stopped  the  Frauis 
drifting,  and  even  drove  her  back  in  an  easterly  and 
notherly  direction.  Not  until  October  did  she  again  bear 
to  the  west,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  autumn  and 
the  winter  tlie  drift  was  better  than  ever.  On  October 
16,  1895,  the  Fram  was  in  her  highest  observed  latitude, 


•III 


f 

■11 


.J 


nm/tdifi 


'!i 


308 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN   WORLD 


'  I 


J  t 


\^•it 


ir 


I   i 


J ' ' 


viz.,  85"  57'  N.  lat.  and  66°  E.  long.  Some  clays  later  she 
was  still  farther  north,  but  on  those  clays  it  was  cloudy,  so 
that  no  observations  could  be  taken.  By  the  middle  of 
P\'bruary,  1S96,  the  Frani  liad  come  in  a  southwesterly 
direction  to  84°  20'  N.  Lit.  and  24""  K.  long.  But  here, 
cjuite  unexpectedly,  long-continued  south  winds  stopped 
the  drift  until  May,  when  it  again  began  to  go  south,  until 
on  July  19  they  were  in  CS3"  14'  N.  lat.  and  14  E.  long., 
where  the  work  of  ''ettiirj:  t!ie  Frani  out  of  the  ice  began. 
Had  she  not  got  loose  here,  but  had  been  obliged  to  con- 
tinue driftin",  she  would  of  course  have  come  south  with 
the  polar  ice  along  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  toward 
which  the  direction  of  her  drift  pointed  directly ;  and 
had  she  not  got  loose  before,  she  wojI.I  have  been  driven 
south  right  to  Cape  P\irewell,  a  drift  which  has  already 
been  accomplished  several  times,  an, I  which  would,  there- 
fore, not  have  been  so  well  worth  repeating. 

Throughout  her  drift  tlirough  the  unknown  Polar  Sea 
from  New  Siberia  to  the  north  of  Spitzbergen,  the  Fram 
was  constantly  exposed  to  pressure,  none,  however,  being 
so  serious  as  that,  already  described,  in  January,  1895. 
During  this  last  summer,  especially  now  in  June,  1896,  the 
pressure  was  particularly  great,  and  of  a  peculiar  nature. 
The  Fram  at  that  time  lay  in  a  channel,  which,  with 
the  changing  tidal  current,  alternately  opened  and  closed 
twice  during  the  twenty-four  hours.  Throughout  one 
week  in  June,  at  the  spring  tides,  the  pressure  in  this 
channel  was  extremely  hard,  and  the  Fram  was  regularly 
lifted  up  once  or  twice  a  day,  so  high  that  her  bottom 
could  often  be  seen  above  the  ice.  But  broad  and  safe 
as  she  is,  she  rose  quietly,  without  letting  a  sound  be 
heard  within,  either  in  timber  or  woodwork.     No  one  on 


V 


J/0  IV  TJlli   ^^J'RAM"   FARED 


309 


board  was  awakened  by  the  i)ressure,  even  when  at  its 
height;  while  it  often  happened  that  Sverdrup  himself, 
who  is  a  very  lii^ht  sleeper,  awoke  in  the  morning  with- 
out an  idea  of  what  had  taken  place  in  the  night.  Only 
when  he  came  on  deck  and  looked  over  the  bulwarks  did 
he  observe  how  high  the  vessel  was  raised  above  the 
surface  of  the  ice. 

This  quiet  raising  was  of  course  due  to  the  well- 
adapted  lines  on  which  the  Fram  was  built.  This,  too, 
is  the  reason  why,  e\en  when  raised  highest,  she  did  not 
heel  over  to  any  great  extent ;  as  a  rule  she  lay  almost 
horizontal.  Sometimes  she  heeled  over  a  few  degrees, 
but  the  greatest  l-.ecling  ever  that  the  Fram  did  in  the  ice 
amounted  to  iS  . 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  temperatures  of  the  first 
winter.  I  will  only  add  here  that  the  two  subsccpient 
winters  on  board  the  Fram  were  not  colder  than  that 
one.  It  is  well  knov.'n  that  the  districts  south  of  the  delta 
of  the  Lena  in  Siberia  form  one  cf  the  poles  of  maximum 
cold  of  the  northern  hemisphere.  It  was  therefore  not  to 
be  expected  that  the  winters  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
unknown  Polar  Sea,  which  we  were  going  to  explore, 
would  be  found  colder  than  those  to  the  north  of  the 
Siberian  coast.  This,  too.  proved  to  be  the  case.  Of 
course,  the  temperatures  in  all  three  winters  were  rather 
low  on  board  the  Fram,  while  we  two  who  were  on  Franz 
Josef  Land  had  a  considerably  milder  winter;  but  as  a 
set-off  we  had  the  more  violent  storms,  from  which  the 
interior  of  the  polar  basin  is  to  a  great  extent  exempt. 
The  summers  in  the  polar  basin  were  also  rather  cool, 
the  temperature  generally  remaining  at  about  freezing 
point,  and  only  occasionally  rising  a  few  degrees  above  it. 


m 


I       i 


1  ^ 


!t 


<  4I 


3IO 


N.LVSEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


i,  \ 

'v 

r  1 

i  'l'  ' 

\\ 

»>■' 

f\ 

,l. ' 

w 

1, 

1 

y 

v\ 


i: 


The  highest  temperature  observed  during  the  journey 
was,  as  far  as  I  remember,  7°  or  8°  (Fahrenheit)  above 
freezing.  The  fall  of  moisture  in  the  inner  regions  of  the 
polar  basin  was  very  small,  as  the  cold  air  carries  very 
little  moisture  with  it.  All  the  winter  and  spring,  there- 
fore, we  had,  as  a  rule,  unusually  settled,  clear  weather; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
no  small  amount  of  fog  might  often  be  seen  lying  low 
down  on  the  surface  of  the  ice.  Rain  was,  of  course,  a 
great  rarity. 

During  the  whole  voyage  the  Aurora  Borealis  was  of 
exceedingly  common  occurrence,  and  scarcely  a  day  passed 
in  which  it  was  not  observed,  provided  the  sky  allowed  at 
all  of  its  being  seen.  We  thus  had  exceptional  opportu- 
nities of  studying  this  wonderful  natural  phenomenon, 
which  often  rose  to  a  grand  intensity,  setting  the  entire 
sky  in  flames.  Northern  lights  of  various  colors  were 
very  frequent,  and  at  times  the  colors  were  surpiisingly 
intense.  On  the  other  hand,  no  sound  was  ever  heard 
from  them,  nor  did  we  ever  see  them  quite  low. 

Atmospherical  electricity  was  also  a  subject  of  investi- 
gation, and  sometimes  the  electricity  was  fairly  strong. 
The  result  of  these  investigations,  however,  cannot  be 
discussed  until  later.  During  the  whole  journey,  samples 
of  the  air  were  taken  in  glass  tubes,  and  will  be  analyzed 
at  home. 

The  depth  we  had  found  during  the  earlier  part  of  our 
drift  continued  after  I  had  left  the  Fram,  and  the  lead 
showed  between  1,800  and  1,900  fathoms,  until  the  water 
began  to  grow  shallow^  as  the  Fram  worked  her  way  south 
toward  Spitzbergen.  The  water  temperatures,  too,  con- 
tinued almost  unchanged  ;    but  the  layer  of  warm  water 


>i 


S|i 


I/O  IV   THE   '' FRAM''   FARED 


3" 


below  the  cold,  fresher  water,  which  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, became  somewhat  deeper  toward  the  west,  the 
nearer  they  came  to  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean  between 
Spitzbergen  and  Greenland. 

I  have  already  said  that  the  health  on  board  was  unus- 
ually good,  and  so  it  continued  to  be  the  last  year  als<x 
The  only  cases  of  illness  were  one  or  two  slight  attacks  of 
gastric  catarrh,  a  short  attack  of  rheumatism,  and  two  or 
three  other  trifles.  There  was  no  sign  of  scurvy  during 
the  whole  journey,  and  in  my  opinion  this  disease  cannot 
appear  if  sufficient  attention  and  care  are  given  to  the 
provision  department  in  fitting  out  an  expedition  ;  and  it 
is  therefore  a  disease  which  ought  to  be  forever  banished 
from  Arctic  expeditions,  —  this  disease  which  has  hitherto 
been  the  one  to  claim  the  greatest  number  of  victims 
offered  to  polar  explorations. 

When  in  June  and  July  of  this  summer  the  expedition 
began  to  see  some  jjrosjject  of  being  able  to  force  its  way 
south  with  the  Fram,  much  labor  was  spent  in  getting 
her  out  of  the  ice,  a  task  which  was  not  easy  in  the  great 
packed  masses.  The  only  way  was  to  try  to  blow  up 
these  pieces  of  ice  by  blasting,  in  which  process  both  gun- 
cotton  and  ordinary  gunpowder  were  employed.  The 
former  of  these  proved  to  be  the  most  effectual ;  but 
heavy  charges  of  gunpowder  might  also,  if  judiciously 
placed,  have  had  a  capital  effect. 

During  these  blasting  experiments  an  accident  hap- 
pened which  might  easily  have  had  the  most  serious 
consequences.  Sverdrup,  with  one  man  as  helper,  had 
just  laid  a  train  in  a  crack  in  the  ice,  and  set  light  to  the 
fuse,  when  suddenly  the  piece  on  which  they  stood  gave 
way,  and  they  fell  into  the  water  with  the  charge,  and  the 


I'l- 


i     -W*! 


.' 


•I!| 


I 


rl 


It'll 


I 


'•ft 

n 
II 

I! 
•i 


,   i 
'    4 


m. 


5it 


m 


■1 


n 


3" 


NANSEN  IN  THE  ERO/.EN   WORLD 


burning  fuse  close  to  them.  The  situation  was  anything 
but  agreeable,  and  they  made  the  most  desperate  exertions 
to  get  on  to  the  ice  again,  and  out  of  reach  of  the  charge 
before  it  exploded;  but  the  edge  of  the  ice  was  liigh,  and 
it  was  only  after  two  or  three  unsuccessful  attem})ts  that 
they  succeeded  in  getting  to  a  place  of  safety.  The 
charge  exploded  soon  after. 

After  several  days  of  exhausting  labor  at  this  ice-blast- 
ing they  at  last  succeeded  in  setting  the  Fram  free,  and 
on  July  19  the  work  of  forcing  her  southward  through 
the  closely  packed  ice  began  in  earnest.  The  ice  here  was 
tremendous  throughout,  the  floes  sometimes  being  so 
large  that  the  end  of  them  could  not  be  seen  even  with  a 
glass.  No  open  water  was  visible,  and  the  situation  often 
looked  hopeless.  But  it  is  a  capital  thing  not  to  have  any 
way  of  retreat;  in  other  words,  to  have  no  choice  but  to 
go  on.  So  on  they  went,  and  they  had  a  capital  vessel, 
by  whose  means  the  impossible  became  possible.  By 
steaming  and  warping  they  forced  their  way,  bit  by  bit, 
through  ice  which  would  have  made  most  men  give  them- 
selves up  to  despair;  and  when  it  was  too  bad  for  this,  a 
way  was  made  by  blasting.  For  about  a  month  they 
kept  on  with  this  work,  and  during  that  time  broke  their 
way  through  150  geographical  miles  of  ice  —  ice  perhaps 
vaster  than  any  other  vessel  has  ever  yet  ventured  upon  ; 
and  on  August  13,  the  very  day  on  which  Johansen  and  I 
arrived  at  Vardo,  they  got  out  of  the  ice  into  open  water. 

At  the  time  of  their  coming  out  of  the  ice  there  was  a 
fog,  which,  however,  soon  lifted,  and  close  by  was  seen 
a  small  vessel,  the  Sisters  (Sostrene),  a  schooner  from 
Tromso,  which  greeted  the  Fram  with  hearty  cheers. 
Captain  Bottolfsen  coming  on  board.     The  first  question 


no  IV   THE  ''FKAM"  I'AREl) 


Z'^Z 


put  to  him  was  whether  Nansen  and  Johaiiscn  had  ar- 
rived in  Norway.  The  negative  answer  to  this  acted  like 
an  uncomfortable  (himper  on  the  joy  they  had  experienced 
in  getting  out  of  the  ice,  and  few  on  board  the  Fram  had 
any  liope  now  of  ever  seeing  us  again.  Supposing,  liow- 
ever,  that  people  on  S|)itzbergen  might  be  better  informed, 
they  went  there  to  meet  Andree,  who  was  supposed  to 
be  at  that  place.  There,  however,  the  intelligence  was  no 
more  reassuring,  and  their  fears  for  us  —  their  two  com- 
rades—  grew  more  and  more  serious.  Captain  Sverdrup 
was  perhaps  the  only  man  on  board  who  still  believed 
that  we  were  alive ;  he  thought  that  we  had  arrived  at 
Franz  Josef  Land  so  late  last  autumn  tiiat  we  had  been 
obliged  to  winter  there  with  Jackson's  expedition,  and  all 
on  board  were  agreed  to  go  at  once  to  Franz  Josef  Land 
to  look  for  us.  The  Fram  was  indeed  fully  equipjjed 
for  starting  on  a  new  polar  exjDedition,  should  it  be  neces- 
sary. To  make  quite  certain,  however,  it  was  decided  to 
go  home  to  Norway  to  see  if  there  might  be  any  later 
intelligence  of  us  there. 

It  was  during  the  night  of  August  20  that  the  Fram 
cast  anchor  in  the  little  haven  of  Skjarvo,  in  Finmark. 
Sverdrup  immediately  rowed  ashore  to  despatch  some  tele- 
grams. After  he  had  hammered  for  some  time  in  vain 
upon  the  various  doors  of  the  telegraph  office,  a  head  was 
put  out  of  a  window,  and  an  angry  voice  called  out :  — 

"  It 's  too  bad  that  one  can't  even  be  allowed  a  quiet 
night's  rest !     What  do  you  want,  and  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  Sverdrup,  and  I  am  captain  of  the  Fram','' 
came  the  quiet  answer. 

At  this  the  tone  of  voice  in  the  window  immediately 
changed.     "  I  '11  come  directly,"  it  shouted,  and  the  win- 


'iiiHil 


tl 


■!'•) 


3'4 


nans/:n  jn  hie  r/w/JiN  world 


'   » 


m 


».'    ,0 


h> 


{' 


i 


rilK    "I'KAM"    in     rill      HVKIIOR    of    CJIIUSTf  AMA    AITI  U    IIIK    KI'.TI'KN 

clow  was  closed  again.  Sverdrup  went  around  the  house 
to  the  entrance,  and  there,  to  his  surprise,  found  the 
person  whom  he  had  seen  at  the  window  in  the  simplest 
(ieshabiHe  standing  fully  dressed  before  him.  No  human 
being  had  ever  dressed  more  quickly,  he  thought ;  and  his 
astonishment  was  not  lessened  by  the  first  words  that  the 
head  of  the  telegraph  office  said  to  him,  "  Nansen  and 
Johansen  have  come  back." 

Sverdrup  hardly  gave  himself  time  tc  answer,  but 
rushed  down  the  island  to  the  shore  to  shout  out  the 
glad  news  to  his  comrades,  wlio  fell  on  one  another's 
necks  in  mad  delight.  The  news  was  immediately  sent 
out  over  the  water  to  the  Fram,  which  soon  after  greeted 
it  with  a  salute  of  two  guns,  which  echoed  far  out  into  the 
still  summer  night,  proclaiming  the  return  of  the  Norwe- 
gian polar  expedition  to  its  native  land.  (Nansen  and 
Johansen  met  the  Fram  in  Tromso  harbor.) 


\\ 


RKCEPTION   AND    FESTIVITIES    AT  CHRISTIANIA 


The  reception  vvhieli  took  place  at  Cliristiania  on  Sep- 
tember 9  was  so  brilliant  that  no  sovereign  could  be 
welcomed  more  royally. 

As  soon  as  the  tidinL!;s  of  Nansen's  and  the  hratus 
return  were  flashed  over  the  world,  committees  were 
formed  to  arranjjje  j^reat  festivities,  and  they  worked  with 
unremitting  zeal  to  have  everything  ready  at  the  proper 
time.  The  notice  was  rather  short,  but  it  appeared  to  be 
long  enough,  as  everybody  was  anxious  to  assist,  and  a 
hundred  willing  hands  were  ready  where  there  was  room 
and  use  for  only  two. 

On  Wednesday,  September  9,  the  cajjital  of  Norway 
was  in  its  best  attire.  There  were  flags  everywhere  along 
the  route  of  the  procession,  and  festoons  of  evergreens, 
and  shields  with  the  names  of  the  explorers  in  silver  on  a 
blue  ground  ;  but  the  most  original  spectacle  was  an  im- 
mense triumphal  arch,  occupied  by  several  hundred  young 
people  dressed  in  white. 

All  business  was  suspended,  stores  and  ofifices  closed 
at  noon,  and  crow'ds  of  people  thronged  the  streets  from 
early  morning. 

The  festivities  commenced  on  Christiania  Fjord.  A 
fleet  of  about  a  hundred  giyly  decorated  steamers,  large 
and  small,  sailed  out  in  the  "♦lorning  to  meet  the  Fram 
and  escort  the  good  ship  tc  the  city.  While  this  grand 
demonstration  was  t^iking  place  on  the  sea,  every  locality 
in  and  around  the  city  from  which  one  could  get  a  view 
was  filled  with  people. 

When  the   large  fleet  of  steamers  met  the  Fram  and 


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3i6 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


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her  escort  of  eight  men-of-war,  a  tremendous  cheer  rang 
out,  and  the  Fram  steamed  into  port  amidst  the  sakites 
from  the  ships  and  the  guns  on  land.  She  looked  quite 
insignificant  with  her  sombre  and  ice-battered  hull  in 
these  gay  surroundings. 

The  guns  of  the  fortress  then  gave  the  signal  that  the 
fleet  had  arrived,  and  a  boat  rowed  by  quite  young  sailor 
boys  took  Nansen  and  his  men  from  the  Fram,  while  the 
multitude  cheered  and  waved  their  handkerchiefs  on  see- 
ing the  hero  of  the  day,  who  was  dressed  in  his  celebrated 
blue  jacket.  At  the  pavilion,  on  the  pier,  a  large  chorus 
of  men  sang  with  great  effect,  at  this  inspiring  moment, 
the  well-known  hymn,  "  A  Mighty  Fortress  is  our  God." 

While  everybody  present  joined  in  singing  the  national 
hymn,  Nansen  and  his  comrades  walked  froni  the  boat  to 
the  tent,  where  the  indescribably  joyful  meeting  with  their 
families  and  most  intimate  friends  tool:  place.  Then 
followed  the  official  reception,  at  which  Mr.  Sunde,  the 
president  of  the  Christiania  City  Council,  made  the  speech 
of  welcome.  After  deafening  cheers  Nansen  responded 
in  a  loud,  sonorous  voice  :  — 

"  Countrymen  •  it  is  a  difficult  task  to  express  the  feel- 
ings that  animate  my  comrades  and  myself.  Well  I 
remember  the  day  we  left  home.  The  fjord  lay  before 
us  heavy  with  rain ;  it  was  hard  to  say  Good-by,  and 
great  was  the  responsibility;  we  felt  that  Norway's  best 
wishes  were  with  us ;  we  realized  that  if  we  flinched  the 
country  would  he  disappointed.  But  I  was  certain  that 
my  men  would  do  their  duty  even  to  the  shedding  of  the 
last  drop  of  blood.  I  can  say  that  no  one  ever  went  to 
the  North  with  nobler  men  than  I  did.  I  thank  you, 
from  the  bottom  cf  my  heart,  for  your  greeting  of  v/cl- 


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NAN  SEN  IN  THE   FROZEN  WORLD 


come,  —  a  greeting  that  hardly  any  other  Norwegian  ever 
received.  Thanks  to  Christiania.  We  only  did  our 
duty,  therefore  the  welcome  is  doubly  dear  to  us.  Long 
life  to  our  capital  city  !  y  it  often  send  out  men  like 

those  it  sent  with  me !  " 

After  the  reception  was  ended  the  explorers  were  taken 
into  carriages,  —  Nansen  and  Captain  Sverdruj)  in  the 
first,  —  leading  the  procession  as  it  moved  up  through 
the  city. 

They  received  unceasing  ovations,  and  on  passing  un- 
der the  triumphal  arch,  wdth  its  living  decorations,  flowers 
were  thrown  to  the  heroes.  The  professors  and  students 
awaited  them  at  the  university,  and  on  their  arrival  the 
rector.  Professor  Schiotz,  on  behalf  of  science,  welcomed 
Nansen  and  crowned  "  The  Heroes  from  the  Desolate 
Ice  Fields  "  with  laurel. 

The  goal  of  the  procession  was  the  royal  castle,  into 
which  Nansen  and  his  men  passed  while  interminable 
masses  of  people  collected  outside,  and  called  for  him  so 
persistently  that  he  had  to  appear,  time  after  time,  on  the 
balcony  to  bow  his  acknowledgments.  At  the  state  din- 
ner that  followed  and  to  which  about  one  hundred  people 
were  invited,  Nansen  wore  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Olaf,  with  which  King  Oscar  had  honored  him  at 
the  reception  at  the  castle.  Sverdrup  wore  the  cross  of  a 
commander,  and  the  scientific  members  of  the  expedition 
the  cross  of  knights,  and  the  other  members,  the  new 
Fram  medal  of  silver.  The  only  speech  that  was  made 
was  that  of  the  King,  who  said  :  — 

"  This  is  a  notable  day  indeed.  Nansen  is  now,  as  a 
discoverer,  the  victorious  pioneer  of  an  important  work  of 
civilization,  whom  the  whole  world  greets  with  acknow- 


RECEPTIOX  A  WD  FESTIVITIES 


319 


ledgment  and  admiration.  His  countrymen  greet  him 
witli  special  pride,  joy,  and  enthusiasm,  because  this  great 
feat  was  accompHshed  by  Norwegians  alone.  When  the 
Fram  sailed  away  she  was  followed  \\  ith  hope,  fear,  and 
doubt;  but  mtelligence,  prudence,  and  dauntless  courage 
dispelled  our  fears  and  fortified  our  hopes.  Colin  i\rch- 
er's  Fram,  with  Sverdrup  at  the  helm  and  Nansen  on  the 
commander's  bridge,  and  a  crew  of  brave  men,  conquered 
the  many  difficulties.  The  Fram  reached  a  point  farther 
north  than  any  other  ship  ever  did ;  and  its  fearless  leader 
went  still  nearer  to  the  Pole  with  but  a  single  companion, 
defying  dangers  the  thought  of  which  makes  one  shud- 
der, and  which  cannot  fail  to  awaken  the  highest  admira- 
tion. A  kind  Providence  held  its  protecting  hand  over 
our  countrymen  and  insured  them  a  safe  return.  But  we 
will  not  give  greater  credit  to  Providence  than  is  its  due. 
Providence  usually  sides  with  prudence  and  courage, 
therefore  we  will  rather  emphasize  the  remarkable  accu- 
racy of  Nansen's  calculations.  When  the  Fram  returned, 
a  great  shout  of  joy  echoed  through  Norway's  mountains 
and  all  along  its  coasts.  The  Fram  has  had  a  trium- 
phant voyage;  she  has  returned  with  her  full  crew,  unin- 
jured, and  with  stores  still  unexhausted,  —  all  visible  proofs 
of  the  great  care  that  has  made  this  polar  expedition  a 
success. 

"And  now  you  stand  here  in  the  royal  castle,  and  the 
King  of  Norway  feels  that  it  is  not  only  his  sacred  duty, 
but  that  it  is  his  incontestable  right,  to  interpret  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Norwegian  people  at  this  moment.  Accept, 
then,  through  me,  the  entire  people's  sincere  and  heart- 
felt thanks  for  what  you  have  done,  for  the  joy  you  have 
caused  in  Norwegian  hearts,  for  the  honor  and  lustre  you 


vi 


U  il 


I- 


':       ! 


I.i 


It' 


320 


NANSEN  IN  THE  FROZEN  WORLD 


r'. 

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> 


have  spread  over  your  fatherland.  These  evidences  of 
appreciation  will  not  die,  but  will  survive  those  who  are 
present  here,  and  will  descend  to  posterity  century  after 
century,  as  long  as  the  Norwegian  mountains  stand.  We 
will  salute  Fridtjof  Nansen  and  his  men  with  three  times 
three  cheers." 

When  Nansen  left  the  castle  at  nine  o'clock  to  drive 
to  his  home,  he  found  the  city  illuminated  with  bonfires 
and  torches.  The  next  day  (Thursday)  the  city  was  astir 
early,  ready  for  new  ovations.  In  the  forenoon  a  large 
parade  consisting  of  over  tw^enty  thousand  school  chil- 
dren, dressed  in  their  best  and  carrying  flags,  passed  be- 
fore Nansen  and  his  men,  who  were  stationed  under  a 
triumphal  arch,  where  they  were  nearly  buried  under  the 
masses  of  flowers  that  the  httle  girls  threw  at  them. 

In  the  evening  the  city  of  Christiania  tendered  the 
party  a  great  banquet,  in  which  about  five  hundred  per- 
sons participated.  The  next  evening  there  w^as  a  festival 
performance  at  the  theatre,  after  which  a  torch-light  pro- 
cession of  students  accompanied  Nansen  to  a  banquet  at 
the  Students'  Club. 

The  ovation  ended  the  next  day  with  a  great  popular 
festival  in  the  open  air  at  which  over  thirty  thousand  peo- 
ple were  present.  There  were  addresses  by  Pjornstjerne 
Bjornson  and  others.  Nansen  expressed  his  thanks  amid 
tumultuous  applause.  Then  followed  singing  and  dan- 
cing, illuminations  and  fireworks,  and  thus  ended  the  great 
festival  in  Christiania  where  the  whole  nation  had  united 
to  give  one  of  its  greatest  sons  a  royal  reception. 


1     ( 


PEARY'S  JOURNEY 
ACROSS   NORTHERN    GREENLAND 


IT  ■  I  '  'i  '  ^!  i  •■' 


LIEUTENANT  ROBERT  E.  PEARY,  U.  S.  N. 

THE   NORTH   GREENLAND   EXPEDITION   OF  1891-92 
Written  by  Eiviiid  Astrup  for  the  Geographical  Society  of  Christiania,  Norway 


21 


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OUTLINE   OF   THE    PLAN 

Briefly  told,  the  plan  of  Lieutenant  Peary  for  this 
expedition  was  as  follows :  With  five  or  six  companions 
lie  would  land  at  Whale  Sound,  on  the  western  coast  of 
Greenland,  latitude  j-j"  35'  N.,  in  June  or  July.  The 
remainder  of  the  summer  and  the  autumn  were  to  be 
spent  in  erecting  a  hut  in  which  to  spend  the  winter, 
storing  meat  and  other  supplies,  making  scientific  re- 
searches, collecting  specimens,  and  making  excursions  to 
the  inland  ice.  In  addition  to  this,  if  the  character  of  the 
season  would  permit,  a  depot  of  provisions  was  to  be 
formed  near  the  southern  corner  of  Humboldt  Glacier. 
During  the  winter  the  members  of  the  party  would  repair 
their  sledges  and  ski,  mend  their  clothes,  and  get  into 
readiness  for  use  whatever  they  might  need  for  travelling 
purposes.  They  would  also  practise  running  on  ski  and 
on  Canadian  snow-shoes.  In  the  spring  four  or  five  of 
the  party  would  make  an  effort  to  cross  the  inland  ice  to 
Petermann  Fjord.  From  that  point,  if  reached,  two  or 
three  of  them  would  continue  the  journey,  while  the 
others  would  return  to  Whale  Sound.  The  advance 
party  would  push  on  to  the  most  northern  point  in  Green- 
land. After  ascertaining  its  exact  geographical  position, 
they  would  commence  the  return  trip  and  rejoin  their 
companions  at  Whale  Sound,  and  the  entire  party  would, 
at  the  first  opportunity,  return  to  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 


WINTER    gUARTERS    AND    TREPARATIONS 

EiviND  AsTRUP,  the  author  of  tliis  sketch  of  a  most 
remarkable  expedition,  was  a  young  Norwegian  who  ac- 
companied Lieutenant  Peary  on  his  periious  journey  over 
the  inland  ice  and  to  the  most  northern  point  of  Green- 
land.    The  following  is  his  narrative :  — 

The  number  of  members  of  this  expedition  was  five. 
Besides  Lieutenant  Peary,  its  commander,  there  were  Dr. 
F.  A.  Cook,  a  physician  and  a  very  active  and  energetic 
man  who  was  about  thirty  years  of  age;  Mr.  Langdon 
Gibson,  a  prominent  sportsman  and  an  excellent  hunter, 
who  rendered  invaluable  assistance  to  the  party;  Mr. 
John  T.  Verhoeff,  the  mineralogist  of  the  expedition,  who 
contributed  $2,000  toward  fitting  it  out  and  who  never 
returned ;  and  myself.  I  was  the  youngest  member  of 
the  party,  not  having  completed  my  twentieth  year  when 
we  left  port.  Each  member  tendered  his  services  without 
remuneration.  Matthew  Henson,  a  colored  man  who  had 
been  in  Lieutenant  Peary's  service  for  many  years,  went 
with  us  as  cook.  A  remarkable  innovation  which  gave 
the  expedition  an  added,  not  to  say  a  sensational  interest, 
was  the  presence  of  Lieutenant  Peary's  wife,  who  ear- 
nestly desired  to  accompany  her  husband.  Up  to  this 
time  no  white  woman  had  ever  ventured  into  the  Arctic 
regions. 

The   expedition  left    New  York  June  6,  1891,  in  the 


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324 


ACHOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


Kite,  a  small  steam  sealer.  Besides  the  members  of  the 
party,  a  number  of  scientists  from  Philadelphia  sailed  with 
us  to  make  observations  and  collections  during  the  voy- 
age, and  intending  to  return  in  the  vessel  after  having 
landed  us  at  our  northern  port. 

After  a  prolonged  and  tedious  voyage  along  the  coasts 
of  North  America  and  Newfoundland,  and  over  Davis 
Strait,  we  sighted,  on  June  23,  the  land  to  which  we  had 
longed  to  come. 

On  the  western  coast  of  Greenland  we  called  at  the 
Danish  colonies,  Godhavn  and  Upernavik.  At  each  of 
these  places  we  were  well  received  and  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  the  Danish  officers  stationed  there. 


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326 


ACKOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


On  July  2  we  were  stopped  by  ice  in  Melville  Bay,  and 
for  three  weeks  we  were  able  to  make  but  little  progress. 
Here  the  time  passed  very  slowly,  as  we  were  all  impatient 
to  reach  our  j)oint  of  destination,  the  place  on  Inglefield 
Ciulf    where    we    expected  to  have    our    winter    quarters. 


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KK-l'ACK    IN     ,MK1.VII.1.K    HAY 


Our  principal  occupation  at  this  time  was  the  shooting  of 
a  few  seals  and  some  sea-birds. 

On  July  1 1  a  great  misfortune  befell  Lieutenant  Peary. 
This  was  the  fracturing  of  his  right  leg.  Although  com- 
pletely disabled  physically,  he  accepted  the  situation 
calmly  and  uncomplainingly.  For  four  weeks  he  was 
confined  to  his  bed,  but  he  never  lost  his  patience  or 
wavered  in  his  confidence  of  success. 

Our  first  bear  was  shot  on  July  i6.  During  the  next 
few  days  several  more  of  these  ferocious  creatures  were 


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seen,  but  wc  were  not  able  to  get  within  shooting  distance 
of  any  of  them. 

While  east  of  Cape  York,  on  July  22,  we  got  out  of  the 
pack-ice,  and  on  the  next  day  we  beheld  in  the  distance 
the  desert  coast  which  was  to  be  our  home  during  the 
coming  winter. 

The  place  which  Lieutenant  Peary  had  finally  chosen 
for  our  winter  quarters  was  situated  on  the  southern  side 
of  McCormick  Bay  a  little  south  of  latitude  78°.  We 
reached  it  early  in  the  morning  of  July  24,  and  spent 
almost  the  entire  day  in  looking  for  the  most  suitable  spot 
upon  which  to  build  our  house.  Toward  evening  we  de- 
cided to  take  a  small  dry  place  that  was  near  the  coast, 
with  a  creek  running  directly  past  it. 

During  the  following  week  the  crew  were  busy  hauling 
our  provisions  and  stores,  while  we  were  equally  industri- 
ous in  building  a  house  out  of  the  materials  which  we  had 
brought  along  in  the  ship  for  that  purpose.  This  house 
was  twenty-two  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  broad,  and  was 
divided  into  two  rooms,  one  of  which  was  considerably 
larger  than  the  other.  The  walls  and  roof  were  made  of 
one-inch  boards,  which  were  covered  on  the  inside  with 
tarred  pasteboard.  A  foot  inside  of  this  wall  there  was 
another  covering  of  common  pasteboard  lined  with  thick 
blankets.  On  the  outside  a  wall  of  stone,  three  feet  high, 
was  built  around  the  house.  Upon  this  wall  we  piled  the 
numerous  boxes  and  barrels  in  which  our  provisions  were 
stored.  In  the  autumn  we  stretched  a  canvas  awning 
from  the  roof  of  the  wall  around  the  house,  and  thus 
formed  a  closed  passage  surrounding  the  building.  This 
aided  greatly  in  keeping  the  interior  warm  and  cosey 
during  the  winter. 


WINTER    QUARTERS  AND  PREPARAT/ONS       329 


of 
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On  July  30  the  KiU  left  us,  after  Lieutenant  Peary, 
who  was  still  unable  to  walk,  had  been  carried  ashore  on 
a  stretcher  which  was  constructed  for  the  occasion.  The 
house  was  then  almost  completed.  We  were  not  at  all 
sad  to  see  the  ship,  our  last  connection  with  the  civilized 
world,  disappear  in  the  distance.  Now  we  were  alone, 
and  could  without  interrujjtion  take  up  the  work  of  the 
present  and  prepare  for  that  which  lay  before  us  in  the 
coming  year. 

Before  the  house  was  quite  completed  we  commenced 
many  other  things  that  were  to  be  done  before  winter  set 
in.  One  of  the  principal  of  these  matters  was  to  form  the 
acquaintance  of  some  Eskimos  living  on  Northumberland 
Island  and  persuade  them  to  settle  near  our  house.  This, 
because  they  would  be  of  great  assistance  to  us  in  the 
winter  by  sewing  our  skin  garments,  and  might  be  helpful 
in  various  other  wavs.  On  August  12  four  of  us  set  out 
on  a  boat  expediti  .1  to  the  island.  We  reached  it  safely 
and  found  some  Eskimos.  The  first  meeting  with  them 
seemed  very  queer,  as  we  did  not  understand  a  word  of 
their  language  and  they  were  equally  ignorant  of  ours. 
Still,  by  means  of  signs,  we  managed  to  make  them  un- 
derstand what  we  wanted.  A  family,  consisting  of  a  man, 
his  wife,  and  two  children,  were  willing  to  go  with  us  at 
once,  and  we  took  them  over  in  our  boat,  arriving  at  the 
house  on  the  i8th  of  Auecust. 

Summer  was  now  far  advanced.  The  remainder  of  the. 
season  was  spent  partly  in  making  short  ti'ips  to' examine 
the  inland  ice  and  partly  in  hunting  reindeer.  We 
needed  the  latter  both  for  their  meat,  to  help  out  our 
supply  of  food,  and  for  their  skins,  with  which  to  make 
clothing  for  the  winter.     On  these  hunting  trips  we  went 


'|:*.i 


Iir  ' 

1    1 ' ' 

|i  ■' 

r\ 

i      ; 

1    ; 

1  •  „ 

1 
1  .    i 

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Ill- 

1 1 
I'll 


330  \^CI^OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 

nearly  to  the  end  of  McCormick  Bay,  and  we  were  usually 
quite  successful.  We  had  killed,  in  all,  thirty-four  rein- 
deer that  autumn,  when  darkness  set  in  and  we  were 
obliged  to  cease  our  hunting  expeditions. 

On  October  26  the  sun  left  us,  not  to  return  for  nearly 
four  months.  During  about  half  of  this  period  there  was 
hardly  any  difference  in  the  light  between  night  and  day. 
I  will  try  to  give  an  idea  of  what  we  did  in  this  long 
period  of  darkness.  As  I  said  before,  our  hut  was  warm 
and  cosey,  and  though  the  quarters  were  close  we  all  got 
along  very  well.  We  had  three  meals  each  day.  The 
last  of  these  consisted  of  reindeer  meat  and  different 
canned  vc<j:etables,  and  was  more  elaborate  than  either  of 
the  others.  The  day  was  spent  in  various  kinds  of  man- 
ual labor.  This  was  partly  in  the  nature  of  necessity,  as 
there  were  many  things  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  prepara- 
tion for  our  sledge  journey  in  the  following  spring.  I  did 
most  of  the  carpenter  work,  making  sledges,  ski,  and 
other  articles.  Among  the  others.  Lieutenant  Peary 
particularly  excelled  in  the  high  art  of  cutting  clothes,  and 
most  of  our  skin  garments  were  made  after  his  patterns. 
Dr.  Cook  performed  quite  respectable  work  as  a  tanner, 
and  Mr.  Gibson  was  equally  successful  in  the  line  of  shoe- 
making.  After  a  time  we  became  so  proficient  in  these 
occupations  that  we  jokingly  expressed  to  each  other  our 
doubts  whether  we  had  ever  been  doing  anything  else  in 
this  life  but  tan,  sew,  or  cut  patterns  for  the  peculiar  fash- 
ion of  clothes  which  we  wore. 

On  Saturdays  we  began  the  day  by  sweeping  the  long 
stovepipe.  This  was  such  i.  difficult  task  that  all  of  the 
male  members  of  the  expedition  were  obliged  to  help ; 
and  when  it  was  finished,  if  one  were  to  judge  by  the  color 


WINTER    QUARTERS  AXD   rREPARATIONS       331 

of  our  faces,  he  could  have  easily  imagined  that  we  were 
members  of  a  negro  settlement  in  the  dark  continent. 
But  to  make  up  for  tliis  dis<  omfort  we  had,  e\ery  Satur- 
day evening,  a  warm  bath  in  an  old  petroleum  barrel. 
The  bath  could  be  had  with  or  without  assistance,  as  the 
bather  preferred.  If  he  wanted  it,  the  help  of  two  or 
three  obliging  Eskimos,  who  used  soap  and  scrubbing- 
brush  with  considerable  energy,  was  freely  given. 

On  Sundays  we  walked  about  in  our  more  or  less  worn 
civilized  attire,  and,  considering  the  circumstances,  ap- 
peared to  be  a  rather  fine  looking  set;  but  on  Monday 
morning  we  were  content  to  put  aside  all  regards  to 
vanity  and  cheerfully  don  our  skin  clothes  again. 

The  clothes  last  named  were  made  of  reindeer  skin, 
which,  in  proportion  to  its  weight,  is  the  best  material 
known  to  furnish  protection  from  the  cold.  The  skins 
were  prepared  in  the  singular  but  rather  troublesome 
Greenland  way  of  chewing  them,  after  they  are  dried,  in 
order  to  break  the  fibres.  The  sewing  was  done  by  the 
Eskimo  women  before  the  winter  had  fairly  commenced. 
Skin  clothes,  like  clothes  made  of  other  material,  wear 
out.  They  resemble  clothes  made  of  other  materials  also, 
in  that  they  wear  more  in  some  places  than  they  do  in 
others.  This  was  especially  noticeable  in  respect  to  the 
trousers.  Toward  the  end  of  winter  we  all  looked  like 
gorillas.  Our  dignified  doctor  had  attempted  to  mend 
one  of  his  garments  by  putting  a  patch  of  ice  bear  skin 
on  the  most  exposed  place.  The  long  white  hair  stick- 
ing out  certainly  gave  him  a  comical  appearance. 

We  filled  in  a  afood  deal  of  the  time  durinsf  the  winter 
in  reading  old  newspapers  and  magazines,  scientific 
works,  and  books  pertaining  to  Arctic  travel,  of  which  we 


1  I 
1  'I 


i  ''I 


il 


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ii: 

m 


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n 


n  > 
H ' 

I 


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tf*|j 

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,  1  ■' 

u 

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i 

,"b 


'32 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


had  brought  a  large  supply.  Our  evenings  were  largely 
spent  in  attempting  to  talk  to  the  Eskimos.  We  told 
them  of  the  distant  countries  to  the  south.  Thvjy  ap- 
peared deeply  interested ;  but  when  we  asked  them  if  they 
would  like  to  go  with  us,  when  the  ship  came  to  take  us 
to  our  homes,  they  replied  with  great  earnestness  that 
they  would  never  leave  their  countiy  of  rocks  and  ice. 
They  often  sang  and  danced  for  us.  That  is,  one  man 
or  woman,  at  a  time,  would  go  out  on  the  floor  and  make 
the  most  hideous  faces  and  movements,  singing  more  or 
less  improvised  songs  of  a  mystic  character,  which  we 
could  not  understand,  and  beating  a  drum  as  an  accom- 
paniment. The  other  Eskimos  and  ourselves,  all  but  the 
negro,  stood  around  the  dancer  in  a  circle.  The  negro 
sat  away  back,  on  the  edge  of  his  berth,  and  played  hymn- 
tunes  on  an  accordion  which  was  sadly  out  of  tune,  as  a 
kind  of  protest  against  this  display  of  heathenism. 

Nearly  every  day  during  the  winter  we  received  new 
visits  from  Eskimos.  This  was  especially  noticeable 
when  we  had  a  full  moon.  Then  they  would  fairly  come 
in  droves.  On  these  occasions  some  of  them  would  build 
their  characteristic  cupola  formed  snow-huts  immediately 
upon  their  arrival,  and  would  settle  down  there  to  live ; 
while  others,  who  intended  to  stay  only  a  short  time,  were 
usually  allowed  to  sleep  on  the  floor  of  our  house,  where 
they  often  could  be  seen  packed  as  closely  as  sardines. 
One  can  easily  imagine  that  at  first  this  was  decidedly 
disagreeable  particularly  to  our  sense  of  smell ;  but  such  is 
the  modifying  effect  of  habit  that  the  atmosphere,  which 
had  seemed  almost  suffocating,  by  degrees  became  endur- 
able, and  at  length  caused  us  no  trouble  whatever.  By 
this    intimate    association    with    the    natives,    we    soon 


WINTER    QUARTERS  AND  PREPARATIONS       333 

learned  their  characters,  and  obtained  considerable  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  their  difficult  language. 

Of  course,  Christmas  must  be  celebrated,  even  though 
we  could  not  have  balls  and  sleigh  rides ;  so  on  Christmas 
Eve  we  had  a  large  dinner  party.  About  six  o'clock  we 
sat  down  to  the  table  with  solemn  air  but  cheerful  hearts. 
We  wore  our  finest  raiment,  but  with  most  of  us  this 
consisted  of  a  funny  mixture  of  stylish  and  improvised 
clothes.  We  attacked  the  menu  in  a  resolute  manner, 
and  stopped  only  when  we  could  hold  no  more.  Then 
we  gave  room  to  our  friends,  the  Eskimos.  We  had 
several  visitors  just  then,  and  we  were  resolved  to  serve 
them  at  our  table  in  a  civilized  manner.  Having  never 
before  used  knives  and  forks,  they  were  decidedly  awk- 
ward in  their  efforts  to  eat  as  white  men  do.  It  was 
quite  amusing  to  see  how  carefully  they  put  the  food  in 
their  mouths  for  fear  of  hurting  their  cheeks  with  the 
tines  of  the  fork ;  and  they  seemed  to  enjoy  the  situation 
as  well  as  we  did.  Later  in  the  evening  some  of  the 
members  of  the  expedition  secretly  put  on  masks.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  scene  that  followed.  Old  women 
and  children  alike  screamed  with  fright,  and  even  the 
bravest  of  the  men  disappeared  with  remarkable  alertness 
through  the  door.  This  closed  the  festivities  of  the 
evening.  It  was  late  in  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day 
before  we  could  induce  the  good  people  to  enter  our 
house  again.  When  we  explained  to  them  the  mystery 
of  the  great  change  in  the  appearance  of  our  faces  on 
the  previous  evening,  and  showed  them  the  masks,  they 
were  filled  with  admiration,  and  had  much  enjoyment 
with  the  toys  which  had  previously  filled  their  minds 
with  alarm. 


,     ,H, 


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ii 


334 


ACROSS  NORTIIERX  GREENLAND 


Between  Christmas  and  New  Year  it  snowed  almost 
incessantly.  During  the  winter  there  was  a  snowfall  of 
a  little  more  than  twenty-three  feet.  The  northern  lights 
were  not  very  brilliant.  Our  chief  consolation  during  the 
long  winter  night  was  the  moon.  This  luminary,  when 
it  appeared,  stayed  with  us  uninterruptedly  for  six  or 
seven  days,  and  spread  such  a  lustre  over  the  vast  waste 
of  ice  that  we  could  easily  imagine  ourselves  in  the  land 
of  fairy  tales,  wdiere  everything  is  made  of  shining  silver. 

Late  in  January  w^e  began  to  see  a  faint  light  to  the 
south,  and  not  long  afterward  we  noticed  a  brief  day.  On 
February  13  we  rejoiced  to  see  the  returning  sun,  that  had 
been  absent  one  hundred  and  ten  days.  Our  dark  winter 
night  had  passed  more  quickly  and  more  agreeably  than 
wc  had  expected,  but  we  were  glad  that  it  was  over. 
Upon  myself  its  principal  effect  had  been  to  give  me  a 
strong  feeling  of  cosiness  and  comfort  when  I  came  in- 
doors from  the  cold  and  unceasing  darkness  outside. 
After  the  return  of  the  sun  the  air  became  milder  dav 
by  day.  During  the  whole  of  January  and  February  the 
temperature  averaged  minus  40"  Celsius.  The  lowest  tem- 
perature noted  in  the  entire  winter  was  minus  47}°  Celsius. 

About  the  middle  of  February  we  were  surprised  by 
a  very  marked  and  interesting  change  in  the  weather. 
There  was  a  storm  from  the  southeast,  and  the  mercury 
suddenly  rose  to  5°,  with  a  heavy  rain.  This  was  be- 
tween -jf  and  78°  N.  latitude,  and  in  the  coldest  month 
of  the  year.  A  few  days  later  the  cold  was  as  severe  as 
it  had  been  during  most  of  the  season. 

March  and  April  were  busy  months  for  us  all.  The 
work  on  our  equipment  was  pushed  rapidly  forward.  We 
also  made  some  hunting  expeditions,  and  spent  seven  days 


WINTER    QUARTERS  AXD    TR  EPA  RATIONS       335 

in  a  sleigh  trip  around  Inglefielcl  Gulf.  By  the  end  of  the 
latter  month  we  had  c()m})leted  everything  needed  for 
travelling  over  the  inland  ice.  We  had  also  obtained,  by 
barter  with  the  Eskimos,  twenty  of  their  strongest  dogs. 

Of  the  equipment  I  will  mention  ski,  sledges,  Canadian 
snow-shoes,  and  sleeping-bags  made  of  reindeer  skins. 
We    found    afterward    that    the    sleeping-bags    were    not 


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Pr.AKV  S    HOrSF    AND    TENT 


necessary,  as  our  clothes  proved  warm  enough  to  sleep 
in,  and  the  bags  were  left  on  our  way.  On  account  of  its 
heavy  weight  we  could  not  carry  a  tent.  When  we 
wanted  to  sleep,  in  fair  weather  we  simply  laid  down  on 
the  snow,  sheltered  by  a  sledge ;  if  it  stormed  we  crept 
under  an  oilcloth.  All  of  our  cooking  was  clone  by 
the  aid  of  a  spirit  lamp.       Pemmican,  dried  and  ground 


f 


I- '  I 


ii:     t 


a  I 


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336 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


meat  mixed  with  fat,  was  our  principal  food  during  the 
whole  journey,  but  we  also  had  some  shipsbread,  a  little 
rancid  butter,  Knor  s  pea  flour,  condensed  milk,  chocolate, 
and  meat  powder. 

On  April  30  we  transferred  provisions,  sledge:;,  and 
other  equipments  from  our  winter  quarters  to  McCormick 
Bay,  and  afterward  to  the  border  of  the  inland  ice.    It  was 


'r^'Tf^'^^rv^^w^  '  I  (pi  I  w\fi\ 


'ti-*'-.-,'   K. '  ■^•Sf 


ICEBERG  OFF  CAPE  CLEVELAND,  MCCORMICK   BAY 

exceedingly  hard  work  ;  and  as  our  course  took  us  through 
deep  drifts  of  snow  and  over  steep  heaps  of  stones,  it  was 
necessary  to  make  the  loads  very  small.  Wher  this  work 
was  accomplished  everything  was  in  readiness;  and  the 
small  party,  consisting  of  Lieutenant  Peary,  Gibson,  Dr. 
Cook,  and  myself,  set  out  with  hope  and  confidence  that 
in  due  time  we  should  reach  our  distant  destination. 


WINTER    QUARTERS  AND   PRErARATJOAS       337 

After  nicirchini;-  for  several  days  we  encountered  a  furi- 
ous snow-storm,  which  compelled  us  to  halt.  We  built 
a  snow  hut  (l^lskimo  igloo),  in  which  we  took  shelter. 
The  storm  raged  for  tiiirty-si\  hours.  When  it  ceased, 
and  we  crejjt  out  of  oiu-  narrow  quarters,  a  sad  sight  met 
our  eyes.  Our  sledges  were  nearly  buried  under  great 
hills  of  hard  snow^  and  two  of  our  larire  tin  boxes  contain- 
ing  shipsbread  had  been  swept  by  the  wind  over  a  preci- 
pice, where  we  could  not  recover  them.  Ten  of  our  dogs, 
always  restless  in  a  snow-storm,  had  gnawed  their  harness 
and  straps  in  pieces,  and  were  loose,  while  three  of  the 
others  had  been  attacked  by  a  disease  which  the  Eskimos 
call  poblakto,  similar  to  hydrophobia,  and  were  at  the 
point  of  death.  This  was  extremely  discouraging,  as  there 
was  great  danger  that  the  other  dogs  would  fall  victims 
to  the  malady,  in  which  case  it  would  be  impossible  for 
us  to  proceed.  During  the  long  storm  the  dogs  had  be- 
come very  hungry,  and  those  that  had  freed  themselves 
from  their  straps  had  devoured  everything  eatable  that 
was  not  buried  under  the  snow.  Fortunately  our  provi- 
sions were  packed  in  hermetically  closed  tin  cans,  which 
l^roved  .imjjervious  to  the  teeth  of  the  dogs.  The  catch- 
ing of  the  loose  dogs,  which  were  not  yet  well  acc|uainted 
with  their  new  masters,  was  a  difficult  task  that  not  only 
severely  tested  our  patience,  but  also  caused  our  spirits  to 
sink  to  zero. 

The  usual  method  of  catching  one  of  these  dogs  is  to 

entice  him  to  come  near  you  by  throwing  small  pieces  of 

pemmican  or.  the  snow.     In  a  favorable  moment  you  seize 

him  by  the  neck  with   a  firm  grip.     You    then  press  his 

head  into  the  snow  and   hold  him  in   this   position   until 

some  one  else  can  harness  him.     If  one  is  well  practised 
22 


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338 


JCA'O.SS  XOKTIthlRN   GREEXLAND 


in  this  work  he  can,  as  a  rule,  do  it  without  getting  bitten 
more  than  two  or  three  times.  In  two  cases  we  had  to 
lasso  the  dog  doubly,  each  man  clinging  tightly  to  his  rope 
and  a  third  man  holding  the  animal  down  in  order  to 
make  it  possible  for  a  fourth  person  to  |)ut  on  a  new  har- 
ness or  repair  the  old  one. 


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bErAUAlIUN    UK    ICli    M.UKS 


CHAPTKR  XIX 


ACROSS    TIIK    ICK    CM' 


TnK  following  (lays  \\c  had  slow  and  tedious  work- 
climbing  the  steep  hills;  but  after  May  14  we  found  the 
inland  ice  slowly  sloping  up  toward  the  northeast  and 
shilling  with  an  intense  brightness  in  the  light  of  the  sun. 
We  then  began  regularly  to  travel  at  night,  when  the 
reflection  of  the  sun  on  the  snow  was  less  annoying. 
The  much  warmer  day  was  sacrificed  to  the  gods  of  sleep 
and  to  the  art  of  preparing  tea  and  j)ea  soup.  We 
had  reached  an  elevation  of  three  thousand  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea  level.  Four  of  our  dogs  had  died  of 
poblakto,  so  we  only  had  sixteen  of  the  animals  with 
which  we  had  started.  We  therefore  left  some  damaged 
sledges  and  all  the  articles  we  could  possibly  do  without. 
Even  then  our  outfit  weighed  about  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  pounds. 

On  May  17  we  reached  the  highest  point  between 
Inglefield  Gulf  and  Kane  Basin.  Before  us,  sloj)ing 
toward  the  north  and  northeast,  but  so  little  as  to  be 
hardly  noticeable,  lay  the  inland  ice.  I  had  often  told  my 
companions  that  this  was  the  Norwegian  Independence 
Day,  and  they  desired  to  observe  it  in  some  manner  that 
should  distinguish  it  from  ordinary  days.  Dr.  Cook, 
who  had  the  gift  of  making  something  good  out  of  very 
poor  materials,  proposed,  after  we  had  made  our  camp  in 
the  morning,  to  make  a  fire  out  of  a  broken  ski  and  cook 


I        1:! 


M' 


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340 


ACA'OSS  NOKTIIEKN  GNEEXI.AND 


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In 


a  nical  that  would  make  our  mouths  water.  lie  carried 
out  his  |)art  of  the  j)roi;ramme  to  perfection.  We  had 
hardly  ever  eaten  a  meal  with  greater  relish  than  we  did 
the  one  on  that  mornin;.;  of  Ma\'  17.  The  principal  dish 
was  of  the  doctor's  own  invention.  'Ihe  recijje  from 
which  it  was  made  i>  as  follows:  '10  one  litre  of  warm 
liea-souj),  add  some  pieces  of  i)emmican.  If  the  pem- 
mican  is  fro/en  hard,  chop  it  into  small  i)ieces  with  an 
a.\c.     This  will  (-ansc   it    lo   melt    more  readilv.     Stir  the 


I'KAKV    AM)    HIS    (OMI'WKINS 


|( 


whole  over  a  fire,  usint^  pemmican  enough  to  make  the 
mi.xture  quite  thick.  It  is  a  very  palatable  dish,  and,  if 
not  eaten  in  too  large  ciuantities,  is  easilv  digested. 

On. May  iS  and  19  we  made  good  progress,  covering  a 
distance  of  about  twenty-two  miles  each  day.  On  May  20 
we  encountered  a  snow-storm  from  the  southeast,  and  were 
obliged  to  make  our  cam])  much  earlier  than  usual.  As 
soon  as  we  halted,  we  commenced  makinir  a  snow  hut. 


, 


' 


Pi 


ilils 


20 
As 


I  111'.  mi1).\I(;ht  sr.N 


w 


.  -r 


! 


I' '  I 


r      I 


J,; 


I"  t 


if 


!■        < 


1 

r 

■  ■ 

V    [ 

.  i 

j||n 

34a  ylCA'OSS  X0A"J7//':A\\'  CREEXI.AXn 

Here  \vc  well'  snow-bouiul  for  two  clays.  Had  wc 
known  that  two  ami  a  half  months  would  pass  before  wc 
should  au;aiii  he  under  a  roof,  wc  i)robably  should  have 
accepted  this  detention  with  much  less  dissatisfaction. 

We  were  not  able  to  resume  our  journey  until  Sunday, 
May  22.  When  we  had  removed  the  snow  with  which 
our  sledges  were  covered  we  found,  to  our  <;reat  disap- 
l)ointment,  that  the  only  luxury  among  our  stores  —  ten 
packages  of  fruit  preserves — had  disappeared.  The  ex- 
planation was  easy.  The  dogs  had  gotten  loose,  visited 
the  sledges,  and  eaten  what  they  found,  liut  the  |)re- 
serves  did  not  agree  with  their  stomachs,  and  the  poor 
animals  suffered  .severely  for  their  pilfering. 

During  the  next  two  days  we  covered  a  distance  of 
about  forty-four  nu'les,  although  we  used  neither  ski  noi 
snow-shoes.  On  the  morning  of  May  24  we  were  east  of 
the  ilumboldt  (ilacier,  and  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  from  McCormick  hay.  After  finishing  our  meal 
Lieutenant  Peary  informed  us  that,  a(x^ording  to  the  |)lan 
which  had  been  laid  out,  the  time  had  come  for  our  little 
c()m|)any  to  se|)arate.  Two  of  its  members  must  return 
to  Redcliffe  House  (our  winter  (|uarters)  and  the  other 
two  continue  the  work  of  exploration.  The  object  of  the 
latter  party  would  be  to  determine  how  far  north  the 
Greenland  continent  extends.  It  would  require  a  long 
journey  and  involve  great  difiFiculties.  Rapid  travelling 
would  be  necessary,  and  the  carrying  of  a  sufficient  cpian- 
tity  of  provisions  to  last  for  (piite  a  period  would  be  indis- 
j)ensable.  If  conditions  are  favorable  a  dog  can  draw,  on 
the  inland  ice,  a  load  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  pounds,  and  requires  only  about  one  pound  of  penimi- 
can  per  day  for  food.     It  was  therefore  desirable  that  the 


.ICA'OSS   THE    ICh.    CAT 


y\^ 


party  proccccliiii;'  north  should  luivo  a  small  luimhrr  oi' 
jK'opk'  and  a  relatively  large  luinibi-r  of  doiijs.  '\'\\\^ 
would  admit  of  tin-  carrying;  of  ])rovi.si()ns  for  a  loiigci' 
period  than  would  otlu'r\\i>e  he  i)ossil)le,  and  would  also 
afford   the    means   of    takiiiLi'    alonii'    a    lariier   number  of 

41  Ci  t? 

scientifie  instruments. 

Lieutenant  Peary  now  in(|uire(l  who  would  he  uillini;- 
to  accompany  him  farther  north.  We  each  and  all  \-olun- 
teercd.  lie  selected  me  for  his  comijanion,  and  before  we 
returned  I  accomplished  llu-  end  I  had  wished  foi"  on  the 
day  that  I  offered  my  services  to  the  e.\])edition  in  I'hila- 
delphia. 

We  now  camped  toi;i'ther  for  the  last  time.  After  our 
sleep  we  made  |)ieparations,  in  the  afternoon,  to  ])art. 
(iibson  and  tlu'  doctor  took  one  of  the  smaller  sledges, 
two  of  the  dogs,  and  pro\isions  for  twelve  days.  Lieuten- 
ant Peary  and  myself  took  the  rt-maining  sixtei-n  dogs 
and  the  othei-  sledges.  The  latter  wc  tied  one  behind 
anothei'  with  ro|)es.  Oui'  entire  load  wi-ighed  about 
twelve  hundred  i)ounds. 

When  our  two  j)arlies  were  ready  to  moxe  we  sliook 
hands,  the  whins  cracked,  and  we  LTot  under  wav.  Ciibson 
and  Dr.  Cook  went  toward  the  south,  with  Redcliffe 
House  as  their  destination  ;  Peary  and  myself  proceeded 
to  the  northeast  toward  the  distant  and  unknown  i)oint  at 
the  North  Caj)c  of  Greenland.  There  was  deep  solemnity 
at  this  parting,  and  none  of  us  will  ever  forget  the  time 
when,  in  tlie  niidniuht  hour,  we  lost  siirht  of  each  other  in 
the  middle  of  a  lonely  desert  of  snow.  From  tliis  j)oint 
the  success  or  failure  of  the  expedition  depended  wholly 
upon  the  fate  of  only  two  men. 

That   niglit   we  covered  a  distance  of    not   quite   four 


<M 


n  i, 

m 

!•■  I 


•  :'    ' 


ii: 


I -HI 

m 


IN 


II 


344 


.ICA'OSS   NORTriKRX  GRlil-.Xr.lXD 


miles,  and  wc  nuulc  our  first  camp  alone  early  in  the 
morning.  The  next  night  one  of  the  large  sledges  broke; 
and  as  considerable  time  was  occupied  in  repairing  it,  we 
did  not  make  much  progress.  We  had  now  reached  a 
place  where  the  snow  was  loose  and  deep,  and  during  the 
three  following  nights  we  were  able  to  proceed  only  a 
short  distance. 

On  May  2.S  we  shot  one  of  our  dt)gs.  'Ihe  weight  of 
our  provisions  had  diminished  so  much  that  a  smaller 
number  of  animals  was  needed  to  draw  the  load.  Hy 
killing  one  of  the  dogs  we  could  not  only  save  the  j)r()vi- 
sions  he  would  have  eaten,  but  we  could  also  use  his  flesh 
as  food  for  the  others.  In  time  we  acquired  considerable 
facility  in  skinning  and  cutting  up  dogs,  but  it  was  the 
most  unpleasant  work  we  had  on  the  inland  ice.  It  made 
our  hearts  ache  to  kill  the  creatures  that  had  been  so 
faithful  to  us.  At  first  there  were  but  few  of  the  dogs 
that  had  an  aj^petite  for  the  flesh  of  t  leir  fallen  comrades; 
but  later,  when  provisions  became  scarce  and  they  suf- 
fered from  hunger,  the  sur\ivors  all  ate  it  readily. 

Three  ni<>hts  of  marching  brought  us  within  sight  of 
Petermann  I'^jord.  In  the  background  we  could  see, 
through  the  clear  air,  to  Hall  Hasin,  a  good  deal  south  of 
latitude  <sr\  y\fter  this  there  were  so  many  deep  cre- 
vasses in  the  ice  that  we  were  obliged  to  turn  more 
toward  the  east  than  our  course  had  thus  far  been  di- 
rected. On  the  3(1  of  June  we  had  to  kill  another  dog. 
This  left  us  fourteen. 

Vox  a  few  days  we  made  rapid  progress.  Then  we 
a^ain  caught  siHit  of  the  mountains  on  the  coast.  Dur- 
ing  a  week  of  marching  on  the  ice  we  had  made  our  way 
into  a  trap  from  which  it  took  us  several  days  to  escape. 


ACROSS   Tim   ICJi    CAP 


345 


On  the  9th  aiul  loth  of  June  there  was  a  snow-storm 
which  compelled  us  to  halt.  We  si)ent  the  time  under  an 
oilcloth  cover,  an  improvised  sleeping-saloon  that  was  not 
tight  enough  to  give  us  the  most  perfect  protection. 

When  the  storm  was  over  we  resumed  our  march,  but 
had  not  been  moving  more  than  a  half  hour  when  we 
were  cut  oFf  from  our  course  by  large  crevasses.  We  now 
saw  that  we  had  come  too  near  the  coast  and  were  LToinij: 
down  a  sIojdc  that  would  lead  us  to  a  dangerous  locality. 
It  was  evident  that  we  must  again  climb  up  to  the  inland 
ice.  This  required  two  days  of  hard  work  to  accomplish. 
Our  best  dog  sprained  a  leg,  lagged  behind,  and  was  lost. 
We  also  lost  an  excellent  telescope  down  a  crevasse. 

The  time  that  followed  was  somewhat  monotonous,  yet 
was  full  of  interest  to  explorers.  On  account  of  the 
numerous  crevasses  our  j)rogress  was  slow;  but  when  on 
June  26  we  reached  a  height  of  6,000  feet,  this  difficulty 
was  over,  and  our  spirits  were  jjercejitibly  raised.  Though 
I  can  assure  you  that  he  is  not  at  all  of  a  musical  turn,  I 
could  off  and  on  hear  Pearv  sinic,  while  I  sanij;  Norweoian 
sono:s  as  well  as  I  knew  how.  At  these  unusual  sounds 
the  doo's  turned  their  heads,  and  the  intelli<'ent  look  in 
their  eyes  indicated  that  they  were  trying  to  assure  them- 
selves that  they  had  human  beings  for  companions. 

After  reaching  the  elevation  noted,  we  were  obliged  for 
four  nights  to  go  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  as  our  direct 
progress  was  checked  by  a  fjord,  Victoria  Inlet,  that 
seemed  to  have  no  end.  At  last,  in  the  night  between 
luly  I  and  2,  we  found  that  it  was  a  canal  which  sepa- 
rated the  rocks  to  the  north  from  the  real  continent  of 
Greenland.  We  were  then  at  a  height  of  5,000  feet, 
and  could  sec  below  the  end  of  the  inland  ice.     Nearer 


\'\ 


m 


: 


ii^ 


Wr^ 


I) , 


ir 

'i^i! 

1  ' 

i;: 

1  ^ 

^![ 

1 

( ji 

i  , 

,11  '   r. 

\l 

rl 

1  '   ^ 

Ml' 


r.l 


II  :• 


^r  I 


!  i 


'.  It-:  J 

li.  ' 

m  ' 

t    t 


if 


■J 

it  IT 


34<'> 


AC  A' OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


and  nearer  we 
a  p  p  r  f )  a  c  li  e  d 
the    dark   mo- 
raine  until   at 
last  the  memo- 
rable  moment 
arrived     when 
we  set  foot  on  snow-free  land 
after  two  months  of  continuous  ski 
and  snow-shoe  runnino;. 

It  was  nearly  midnight  when 
we  reached  the  moraine.  A  cou- 
])le  of  snow-sparrf)ws  chirped  us  a 
''•reetin<j:  of  welcome,  and  we  heard 
the  pl'jasant  rippling  of  a  fountain 
among  the  large  stones  that  every- 
where covered  the  ground.  We 
did  not  need  coaxing  to  throw  our- 
selves  upon  the  ground  and  drink 
freely  of  the  refreshing  stream. 
Life  had  never  seemed  more  beautiful  than  it  did  at  tliis 
moment. 

Peary  at  once  started  on  a  tour  of  discovery,  and  soon 
found  something  that  quickened  the  hunting  blood  in  our 
veins.  This  was  a  fresh  track  of  musk  oxen.  \\q  cer- 
tainly did  not  forget  to  take  a  rifle  and  some  cartridges 
with  us  when,  on  the  next  morning,  July  3,  we  started  on 
a  tour  with  ])rovisions  sufficient  to  last  four  days.  \\'c> 
also  carried  thermometers,  barometers,  and  photographic 
and  cooking  apparatus.  Slinging  our  bundles  upon  our 
backs  we  were  off.  Peary  led  the  way,  I  followed,  with 
our  seven  dogs.  Our  sledges  and  the  rest  of  our  luggage 
we  left  behind  among  the  stones. 


A    srKllMI  N  III'    CKIK.M.ANl) 
K  I.OKA 


A  CI!  OSS  THE   ICE   CAP 


347 


jr 


Up  and  clown  \vc  went  to  the  coast,  over  hills  and  dales, 
through  creeks,  along  rapidly  running  streams,  and  beside 
small  dark  lakes  the  livelong  day  betore  we  stoj^ped  to 
rest.  Everywhere  we  found  numberless  small  loose  and 
sharp  stones,  which  made  the  march  in  our  thin-soled 
seal-skin  kamiks  a  time  of  continual  sufferin^•. 

During  the  march  we  collected  specimens  of  several 
minerals  and  also  obtained  a  number  of  red,  yellow,  and 
white  flowers  that  enlivened  the  otherwise  dreary  scene. 
Several  times  we  found  tracks  of  musk  oxen,  but  none 
of  the  animals  were  in  si<>ht.  In  the  evenin<>:,  after  our 
march  of  twelve  hours,  we  were  sore-footed  and  faii<j:<-'d  out, 
but  we  had  hardly  eaten  our  plain  supper  of  })emmican 
and  shipsbread  before  we  fell  into  a  sweet  sleep  lying 
among  the  stones. 

The  next  day  brought  glatl  surprises  ./nd  i)roved  a 
U'reat  festival  for  us.  In  the  morninp-,  about  an  hour 
after  resuming  our  journey,  we  came  to  a  rock  about 
4,000  feet  high.  l*'rom  thi>  |)()int,  far  away  to  the  north- 
east, we  saw  the  ocean  covered  with  a  shining  layer  of 
white.  We  had  reached  the  east  coast,  but  we  only  had  a 
glimpse  of  what  we  tlesired  to  see  in  broad  expanse.  For 
two  hours  we  pressed  on,  but  then  there  was  an  abrupt 
ending  of  our  marching  for  the  day.  Right  before  us, 
and  but  little  more  than  a  half  mile  away,  we  caught  sight 
of  somethiiii>;  that  attracted  our  attention  and  caused  each 
of  us  to  utter  an  exclamation  of  glad  surprise.  Two  musk 
oxen  were  moving  ovev  the  stones.  We  quickly  agreed, 
by  means  of  signs,  that  Peary  should  follow  them  with  the 
rifle,  while  I  should  conceal  our  seven  dogs,  in  order  that 
they  might  not  scent  the  game,  which  we  greatly  desired 
to  secure.    When  the  dogs  were  attended  to,  I  waited  and 


i,i 


m 


w 


iiil 


<l 


348 


AC  A' OSS  NORTJIKRN  GREENJ.AND 


\ 

fi! 

I 

!'( 

t    ' 

j  i 
■  1 

I'  ■  * 


It    : 


\    \ 


I       I 


listened  with  great  anxiety.  Soon  I  heard  three  sharp 
reports  of  tlie  rille,  Ijy  whieh  my  exeitenient  was  made 
still  more  intense.  i\i  length  the  tall  form  of  Peary  came 
into  view  on  the  sloi)e  above  me.  He  nodded,  gesticu- 
lated, and  laughed,  liy  this  I  knew  what  had  occurretl. 
We  were  to  have  a  supply  of  fresh  meat !  In  a  few  jumi)s 
I  cleared  the  hill.  The  dogs  kept  me  comi)any,  and 
double-quick  time  was  made  to  the  place  where  the  ani- 
mals lay.  There  were  two  cows  and  two  calves.  Three 
of  them  Peary  had  killed.  The  smallest  of  the  grouj),  a 
young  long-legged  calf,  was  alive  and  was  calling  faintly 
to  its  dead  mother  for  i)rotection. 

After  securing  our  dogs  to  some  large  stones  we  a}> 
proached  our  game.  The  grown  animals  were  as  large  as 
cows  two  years  old.  They  were  covered  with  long  black 
hair  that,  when  they  stood  upright,  nearly  touched  the 
ground.  The  heads  were  disproportionately  large,  the 
liorns  were  thick  and  curved,  and  the  faces  were  half 
hidden  bv  long  locks  resembling  manes.  Altogether,  the 
animals  jjresented  a  very  wild  and  uncanny  aj^pearance. 

We  photographed  the  creatures  in  different  positions, 
and  then  removed  their  skins.  This  took  us  several 
hours.  Upon  searching  for  the  calf  we  found  it  lying 
dead  among  the  stones.  The  poor  creature  had  probably 
been  killed  by  fear  and  excitement. 

It  was  a  matter  of  course  that  we  should  celebrate  the 
securing  of  such  splendid  game  by  a  banquet  for  our- 
selves and  the  dogs.  Preparations  were  commenced  at 
once.  We  began  by  roasting  pieces  of  the  meat  over  our 
small  spirit  lamps,  but  as  this  took  a  long  time  we  became 
impatient  and  went  to  eating  it  raw.  I  suppose  it  was 
because  we  had  been  eating  pemmican  so  long  that  our 


ACROSS   THE  ICE   CAP 


iV) 


ap}3ctitcs  for  fresh  meat  were  almost  insatiable.  We  ate 
so  much  that  we  were  really  alarmed,  l^'or  a  while  we 
could  hardly  keep  awake.  Our  splendid  feast  was  finished 
with  a  few  cups  of  tea,  to  which  we  added  some  milk 
obtained  from  the  cows. 

We   did   not  forget   or  omit    to  feed   the  dogs.     The)- 
were  greatly  excited  by  the  fresh  and   bloody  meat,  and 


w 


!  -'J 


'! 


MUSK    OX 


thoroughly  cleaned  all  the  bones  of  the  large  animals.     It 
was  late  at  night  when  we  all  got  settled  down  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  we  saw  another  lot  of  the  musk  cattle 
grazing  at  a  little  distance  from  us.  There  were  six  ani- 
mals in  this  herd.  It  was  my  turn  to  use  the  rifle.  We 
did  not  need  the  flesh  of  more  than  one ;  and  as  I  did  not 
want  to  cause  unnecessary  injury,  I  decided  to  try  to  jMck 
out  a  bull.  When  I  came  within  shooting:  distance  I 
selected  one  with  enormous  horns,  similar  to  the  old 
northern  drinking  horns,  that  was  evidently  the  leader  of 


v■^ 


m 


35° 


ICA'OSS  AORIUEKN  GREKM.AXD 


ft- 


t    i 

1  ■  * 


H  (    " 

1    . 

<                  h.. 

rii' 

the  band.  When  I  fired  he  fell,  fatally  wounded  ;  the 
others,  alarmed  at  the  report,  ran  a  few  hundred  feet  and 
then  quietly  resumed  their  grazing. 

I  left  the  animal  where  it  fell  and  at  onee  returned  to 
the  camp,  in  order  that  we  might  j)roceed  to  a  great  rock, 
about  five  miles  away,  from  the  top  of  which  we  expected 
to  obtain  a  fine  view  of  the  surroundinir  recrion  and  take 
some  photograi)hs  o''  the  coast.  i\<,  we  wished  to  do  this 
and  return  before  nightfall,  there  was  no  time  to  lose. 

We  reached  the  toj)  of  the  cliff  about  9  a.  m.  A  mag- 
nificent view  spread  out  before  us  —  a  view  that  will 
never  be  forgotten.  We  were  at  an  elevation  of  about 
3,<Soo  feet.  'I'he  rock,  to  which  Peary  gave  the  name  of 
Navy  Cliff,  ended  toward  the  north  in  a  steep  wall  that 
continued  unbroken  to  the  sea.  At  its  foot  was  a  nn'ghty 
bay,  widening  toward  the  east  and  surrounded  by  high 
and  steejD  walls  of  rock.  How  far  this  bay  reached  we 
could  not  determine,  as  the  \iew  was  cut  off  by  large 
rocks;  but  we  considered  it  ])robable  that  it  was  directly 
connected  with  Victoria  Inlet,  and  that  these  two  bodies 
of  water  form  a  sort  of  canal  that  cuts  off  the  land  north 
of  the  82d  parallel  of  latitude  from  the  real  continent  of 
Greenland.  We  firmly  believe  that  here  the  main  body 
of  land  ends  and  that  all  the  land  to  the  north  is  in  the 
form  of  islands. 

We  took  a  number  of  astronomical  observations,  and 
then  got  out  our  photogra])hic  apparatus  and  sketch- 
books. When  we  had  finished  our  work  we  sat  down  to 
our  dinner.  Peary  brought  out  a  small  silver  ilask  con- 
taining whiskey,  which  he  carried  for  use  in  case  of  ill- 
ness. We  each  took  a  drink,  and  Peary  christened  the 
magnificent   body  of  water  we   had   found   Independence 


3 


> 
SO 

> 


r; 
13 


'■iii 


Hi. 


II! 


Ill 


l-!' 


(Ml 


ill' 


mi 


352 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREKNJ.AND 


(■   f 


)■'■>■ 


N  I'. 


,(  ir 


11; 

Ml  I 
1  I 


11} 


Hay,  in  honor  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  the  clay  ujjon  which 
it  had  been  discovered.  We  then  built  a  tall  beacon  of 
stones  and  placed  in  its  centre  a  small  bottle  containint; 
a  paper  upon  which  was  written  a  short  description  of  our 
trip  thus  far.  Two  silk  Hags  which  we  had  brought  with 
us  were  fastened  to'  a  bamboo  pole,  which  we  i)laced 
among  the  stones,  and  which  were  soon  waving  in  the 
fresh  summer  breeze. 

On  the  8th  of  July  we  commenced  our  return  trip,  that 
lasted  twenty-seven  days.  We  had  reached  a  height  of 
8,ooo  feet,  and  were  greatly  delayed  by  storms  and  deep 
loose  snow.  During  the  last  seven  days  our  average 
distance  was  thirty-two  miles  per  day,  but  during  this 
period  the  snow  was  firmer  and  the  walking  was  much 
better  than  it  had  previously  been.  During  most  of  the 
trip  Peary  used  Canadian  snow-shoes,  while  I  used  ski 
exclusively. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  as  we  were  nearing  our  winter 
quarters,  the  point  at  which  our  journey  was  begun,  we 
discovered,  at  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  some  dark 
spots  moving  about  on  the  surface  of  the  snow.  We 
were  soon  convinced  that  they  were  men,  but  wc  could 
only  guess  who  they  were  or  on  what  errand  they  were 
engaged.  The  doctor  or  Gibson  and  some  lilskimos 
might  be  out  searching  for  us,  but  that  seemed  hardly 
probable.  We  wondered  if  they  could  be  members  of  the 
expedition  that  was  to  take  us  home  and  who  were  out 
examining  the  borders  of  the  inland  ice.  We  even  que- 
ried whether  the  ship  that  brought  them  might  not  at 
that  moment  be  lying  in  McCormick  Bay  awaiting  our 
return. 
*  Very  soon  after  we  saw  these  men  they  caught  sight  of 


wm 


ACROSS   THE  ICE   CAP 


353 


it  of 


us.  We  thought  \vc  could  distinguish  a  faint  sound  as 
of  shouting,  and  the  report  of  a  gun.  \V(  answered  im- 
mediately with  hearty  cheers,  and  I  discharged  our  rifle 
twice. 

Our  last  surmise  in  regard  to  the  company  proved  to 
be  correct.  As  we  approached  we  found  that  the  fore- 
most of  the  party  was  Professor  lleiljirin,  of  Philadelp'nia, 
the  geologist  who  had  accompanied  us  on  the  trip  of  the 
previous  year,  and  who  was  leader  of  this  rescue  exi)edi- 
tion.  The  other  members  of  the  party,  seven  in  number, 
were  also  from  Philadelphia.  Of  these,  four  were  scien- 
tists, one  was  an  engineer,  one  an  artist,  and  one  a  jour- 
nalist. They  were  dressed  in  modern  tourist  suits  and 
carried  shining  mountain  staffs  and  ice-axes,  but  none  of 
them  had  either  snow-shoes  or  ski.  As  the  cold  of  the 
preceding  night  had  not  been  severe  enough  to  form  a 
frozen  crust  upon  the  surface  of  the  deep  and  moist  snow, 
they  were  obliged  to  wade  in  a  substance  resembling 
powdered  sugar,  into  which  they  sank  to  the  knees  and 
sometimes  to  the  hips.  The  fact  that  they  had  walked 
about  five  miles  in  this  terrible  slush  was  abundant  evi- 
dence of  their  zeal  and  perseverance. 

At  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  and  twenty-fi\'e 
feet  we  commenced  "  shooting  "  at  each  other  with  the 
well-known  snap-shot  kodaks.  These  little  instruments 
with  their  short  cracks  gave  a  kind  of  warlike  appearance 
to  our  meeting  —  a  fin  de  siecle  infantry  volley,  indeed. 

As  the  parties  approached  each  other  a  glad  hurrah 
sounded  through  the  thin  mountain  air.  Then  came  the 
most  hearty  shaking  of  hands  and  an  enthusiastic  greeting 
of  the  men  who  had  come  with  the  steamer  Kite  to  take 
us  back  to  civilized  society.  Never  to  be  forgotten  was 
23 


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AC/iOSS  NORTIfEKN  GREENLAND 


this  meetinj^  with  fcllovv-mcn  after  seventy-two  days  of 
loneliness  on  an  almost  boundless  field  of  snow.  Neither 
can  we  ever  forget  the  intense  interest  and  deep  enjoy- 
ment with  which  we  listened  to  a  recital  of  the  great 
events  which  had  occurred  in  the  inhabited  world  during 
the  year  tliat  had  passed  since  we  left  our  homes. 

Slowly  we  made  our  way  over  the  snow,  but  conversa- 
tion did  not  flag.  At  length  we  reached  the  ship.  Our 
great  journey  was  at  an  end. 

Since  leaving  the  house  we  had  spent  more  than  ninety 
days  on  the  inland  ice  of  (ireenland,  and  had  travelled 
about  thirteen  hundred  miles.  We  had  found  the  exact 
northern  extent  of  the  mighty  ice  cap  of  this  great  region, 
and,  with  a  probability  bordering  on  certainty,  had  defined 
the  limits  of  the  Greenland  continent  to  the  north.  Our 
observations  showed  that  the  land  rapidly  grows  narrow 
a  little  beyond  latitude  78°,  and  very  clearly  indicated  the 
existence  of  several  icc-frec  islands  to  the  north  of  the 
mainland.  We  also  obtained  a  great  deal  of  information 
regarding  the  meteorology  of  the  region  and  the  height 
of  the  inland  ice. 

With  our  five  faithful  dogs  we  went  upon  the  deck  of 
the  vessel.  Here  the  friendly  sailors  joyfully  gave  us 
their  hands  and  warmly  congratulated  us  upon  the  suc- 
cess of  our  exploring  tour  and  our  safe  return.  I  hardly 
need  say  that  one  of  the  first  things  we  did  after  reaching 
the  vessel  was  to  take  a  thorough  bath  and  put  on  clean 
clothes.  Then  an  accommodating  sailor  freed  us  from 
a  large  quantity  of  long  matted  hair.  This  gave  us  a 
rather  decent  appearance,  and  we  gathered  around  the 
table  for  dinner,  where  we  spent  abundant  time  and  did 
full  justice  to  the  meal. 


.tCKOSS   Tlfl:    ICE    CAP 


3SS 


of 

us 

^uc- 

-dly 


Two  clays  later  we  had  all  of  our  things  on  board,  and 
the  Kite  steamed  down  the  bay  to  our  winter  {|uarters. 
There  we  were  cordially  welcomed  by  the  other  members 
of  the  exjiedition,  —  the  doctor,  (iil^soii,  V'erhoeff,  and 
I*eary's  man  Matt,  all  of  whom  met  us  at  the  shore.  He- 
hind  them  stood  anuml)er  of  our  native  friends,  who  lonii 
ago  had  given  up  all  hope  of  our  ever  returning  from  the 
great  mountains,  "  Sormoksuak."  'I'heir  faces  were  beam- 
ing with  joy,  and  the  men  listened  in  breathless  excite- 
ment when,  a  little  later,  I  gave  them  a  descrijjtion  of  our 
meeting  with  musk  oxen  on  the  eastern  coast.  Many 
were  the  questions  that  I  had  to  answer;  and  with  their 
usual  desire  for  exact  information,  they  were  not  satisfied 
until  I  had  given  them  upon  paper  a  careful  drawing  of 
our  route  over  the  inland  ice  and  of  the  coasts  beyond. 

Before  we  sailed  for  home  a  sad  misfortune  overtook 
us.  This  was  the  loss  of  our  mineralogist  and  meteoro- 
logical observer,  Mr.  Verhoeff,  who  perished  while  on  an 
excursion  which  he  undertook  alone.  Me  had  intended 
to  be  away  for  two  days.  As  he  did  not  return  at  the  end 
of  that  time  we  began  to  feel  anxious  in  regard  to  him, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day  commenced  a  diligent 
search.  For  seven  days  and  nights  we  continued  our 
efforts ;  but  with  the  exception  of  some  footprints  on  the 
snow,  not  the  slightest  trace  of  our  missing  companion 
could  be  found,  and  we  were  forced  to  the  belief  that 
further  work  in  this  direction  would  be  without  avail. 
The  general  opinion  was  that  our  unfortunate  friend  had 
fallen  into  one  of  the  many  deep  crevasses  which  make 
travelling  extremely  perilous  in  the  region  which  lie  at- 
tempted to  explore. 

On  the  24th  of  August  the  Kite  slowly  steamed  out  of 


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ACKOSS  NORTHERN  GRKENI.AND 


McCormick  Hay  and  away  from  our  small  winter  quarters, 
where  we  had  spent  many  happy  hours.  It  was  witli 
minified  feelings  of  joy  and  sorrow  that  among  hundreds 
of  icebergs  we  at  last  lost  sight  of  our  little  house.  I'Our 
weeks  later,  after  having  sojourned  for  fourteen  months 
among  desert  ice  fields,  we  found  ourselves  once  more  in 
a  civilized  land. 


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TUF.    SKCOM)    I'KAUV    KXI'KDI  TION 

ScAKCEi.v  nine  months  h;ul  passed  after  our  return 
before  the  energetic  leader  of  our  party  was  again  on 
Ills  way  north  at  the  head  of  anotlier  Arctic  expechlion. 

I'liis  expedition  left  New  York  on  the  sealer  /'a/con 
July  2,  1893.  It  was  much  more  fully  e(|uipped  than  the 
previous  expedition  had  been.  Among  the  novelties  were 
eight  Mexican  mules,  which  were  said  to  be  of  a  remark- 
ably strong  and  hardy  breed,  and  which  were  taken  for 
the  jiurpose  of  transporting  jirovisions  from  our  winter 
(|uarters  u|)  to  the  border  of  the  inland  ice.  We  also  took 
along  a  pigeon-house  containing  a  large  number  of  carrier 
|)igeons.  It  was  Peary's  intention  to  use  t'nese  birds,  while 
travelling  in  the  interior  of  Greenland,  to  carry  messages 
to  the  winter  quarters  of  the  expedition,  but  they  did  not 
prove  to  be  well  adapted  to  this  kind  of  service. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  number  and  kind  of  boats,  wc 
were  provided  with  a  launch  fitted  with  a  j^etroleum 
engine  that  we  expected  would  be  of  great  service  in 
short  excursions  for  hunting  and  in  making  surveys  near 
our  winter  quarters.  This,  too,  proved  a  disaj)jK)intment, 
as  the  boat  was  too  licht,  and  the  engine  did  not  give 
sufificient  power.  Peary  had  hoped,  after  the  long  winter 
set  in,  to  use  this  engine  in  the  house  in  connection  with 
a  dynamo  which  we  had  taken  along  to  furnish  us  with 
electric  lights. 


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ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


Vob.\G    l.bKlMO    GIRLS   AND    NATIVE    HUT   AT    (JODUAVN 

W'hen  we  left  America  our  party  numbered  fourteen 
members.  This  number  was  later  increased  to  fifteen,  as 
Mrs.  Peary,  who  accompanied  her  husband  in  this  as  well 
as  in  his  previous  expedition  to  the  Arctic  regions,  in  the 
autumn  gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  who  lived  and  was  well 
and  strong  when  the  voyage  to  the  civilized  world  was 
made.  Mrs.  Cross,  an  elderly  woman,  also  went  with  us 
to  serve  as  cook,  and,  v/hen  needed,  in  the  capacity  of 
nurse.  On  the  return  voyage  in  the  Falcon  the  following 
autumn,  she  was  taken  ill,  and  she  lived  but  a  short  time 
after  the  ship  arrived  at  Philadelphia. 

The  other  members  of  the  expedition  were  as  follows  : 
Mr.  Entrikin,  engineer ;  Dr.  Vincent,  physician ;  Mr. 
Baldwin,  meteorologist ;  Mr.  Clark,  zoologist ;  Mr.  Swain, 
secretary  and  stenographer ;  Messrs.  Lee,  Davidson,  Carr, 
and  myself.     Then,  without  being  really  a  member  of  the 


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ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


expedition,  Mr.  Stokes,  an  artist,  went  with  us  for  the  pur- 
pose of  painting  Arctic  scenes.  Lastly,  there  was  Matt, 
Peary's  colored  servant,  who  had  accompanied  us  on  our 
previous  voyage. 

On  our  way  northward  the  Falcon  stopped  at  several 
of  the  English  mission  stations  on  the  east  coast  of  '  b- 
rador  in  order  to  purchase  dogs  from  the  Eskimos.  /.  e 
obtained  about  twenty,  and  then  set  our  course  directly 
for  Greenland.  On  July  26  we  sighted  the  lofty  snow- 
covered  mountains,  and  that  night  we  stopped  at  the 
Danish  colony,  Holstensborg.  Two  days  later  v^-e  v^ached 
Godhavn  and  then  proceeded  to  Upernavik. 

On  July  31  we  passed  Melville  Bay,  and  on  August  3 
tlie  Falcon  anchored  in  Bowdoin  Bay,  about  twenty  miles 
east  of  our  first  winter  quarters. 

We  proceeded  at  once  to  construct  a  dwelling.  On 
account  of  having  twice  as  many  people,  we  were  obliged 
to  build  on  a  larger  scale  than  we  had  done  before.  The 
house  was  made  thirty-three  feet  long  and  fourteen  feet 
wide  and  was  divided  into  several  small  rooms. 

On  August  20  the  Falcon  sailed  for  Newfoundland.  In 
the  following  days  the  house  was  finished  and  Peary  chris- 
tened it  Anniversary  Lodge. 

Meanwhile  I  was  engaged  in  moving  some  five  thou- 
sand pounds  of  provisions  from  the  coast  to  the  inland  ice. 
In  this  work  I  had  the  assistance  of  twenty  native.-  We 
had  planned  to  have  the  hauling  done  by  mules,  but  of 
the  eight  which  we  had  when  we  left  Philadelphia  five 
had  died  and  the  three  that  survived  proved  entirely  un- 
fitted for  service  in  the  wild  region  to  which  we  had  taken 
them. 

During  the  months  of  September  and  October  a  good 


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362 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


k.  < 


il* 


deal  of  time  was  spent  in  hunting,  in  order  that  we  might 
secure  a  supply  of  meat  for  use  in  the  coming  winter. 
We  also  erected  a  depot,  in  which  to  store  provisions,  on 
the  inland  ice. 

Our  hunters  were  very  successful.  Before  the  end  of 
October  they  had  secured  seventy  reindeer  and  twenty 
walrus.  The  meat  of  the  animals  last  named  was  used 
for  feedin^•  our  do^-s  durint^  the  winter.  The  autumn  was 
unusually  mild  as  far  as  temperature  was  concerned,  but  it 
was  rainy  and  disagreeable.  Bowdoin  Bay  did  not  freeze 
over  till  the  early  part  of  November.  This  was  a  full 
month  later  than  it  froze  in  1891. 

On  October  26  the  sun  left  us,  to  be  absent  from  our 
sight  for  about  four  months,  and  the  monotonous  winter 
life  began.  Five  days  later  a  catastrophe  occurred  that 
came  very  near  carrying  the  expedition  into  utter  ruin. 
A  mighty  iceberg,  loosened  from  the  mountain  near  our 
dwelling,  swept  down  the  bay  with  terrific  force,  and 
caused  a  flood  that  inundated  the  shore  and  house  and 
carried  with  it  the  thirty-two  barrels  of  petroleum  upon 
which  we  were  depending  for  fuel  and  light  during  the 
winter.  Fortunately  only  four  of  the  barrels  were  totally 
lost.  The  others  were  recovered  with  great  difficulty 
after  quite  a  proportion  of  their  contents  had  been  lost  by 
leakage.  From  this  time  we  were  obliged  to  be  very 
economical  in  the  use  of  coal  oil,  and  all  hope  of  having 
electric  lifjhts  had  to  be  abandoned. 

With  the  opening  of  winter  we  began  to  receive  visits 
from  our  friends,  the  Eskimos,  who  helped  us  faithfully 
and  untiringly  with  whatever  work  we  happened  to  have 
on  hand.  The  months  of  November  and  December  were 
largely  spent  in  preparing  clothes  and  equipments  for  the 


THE   SECOXD  PEARY  EXPEDITION 


363 


journey  in  tlic  coming  spring.  Christmas  and  New  Year 
were  celel)ratecl  in  an  appropriate  manner.  rY'bruary 
brought  the  severest  cold,  minus  3;'  Celsius.  On  the 
14th  of  this  month  daylight  appeared  again.  During 
the  winter  more  than  half  of  our  dogs  had  died;  but  as 
the  Eskimos  had  a  largo  number,  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
purchasing  thirty  from  them. 

On  March  6  the  whole  equii)ment  was  brought  up  to 
the  border  of  the  inland  ice,  and  e\'er)thing  was  in  readi- 
ness for  the  long  and  wearisome  journey. 

At  this  time  I  was  attacked  by  an  illness,  probably  pro- 
duced by  eating  pemmican,  which  made  it  unadvisable 
for  me  to  attempt  to  take  further  part  in  the  work  of  the 
expedition.  I  was  compelled,  very  reluctantly,  however, 
to  give  up  my  long  cherished  plan,  though  at  Peary's 
request  I  remained  a  few  days  longer  at  the  dejDot.  On 
March  14  I  returned  to  the  house,  accompanied  by  Lee, 
who  had  frozen  one  of  his  feet  so  seriously  that  he  could 
not  proceed  with  the  others.  About  two  weeks  after  our 
return  Dr.  Vincent  also  reached  the  house  with  Davidson, 
who  had  frozen  one  of  his  heels  very  badly  during  the 
terrible  equinoctial  storm  that  raged  in  those  regions 
March  22  and  23.  During  this  storm  the  temperature 
was  minus  45°  Celsius,  a  remarkable  phenomenon  in  con- 
nection with  such  a  violent  wind  as  then  prevailed. 

After  the  storm  was  over  it  was  found  that  several  of 
the  dofjs  had  been  frozen  to  death  and  all  of  the  others 
were  more  or  less  injured.  This  was  the  last  news  I 
heard  from  the  expedition  till  May  i,  as  I  was  absent  on  a 
sledge  trip  around  Melville  Bay,  which  I  undertook  witli 
a  friendly  native  hunter  and  eight  dogs. 

On   my  return  to  winter  quarters   I   found  that  Peary 


» 


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■  wmm  miinni 


364 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


I" 


and  his  companions  had  been  compelled  to  give  up  the 
journey  and  had  come  back  from  the  inland  ice.  The 
N'iolent  storms  and  the  extremely  low  temperature,  minus 
45°  Celsius,  had  greatly  diminished  the  number  of  dogs. 
Mr.  Entrikin  had  both  of  his  feet  frozen,  and  all  the  other 
members  of  the  party  were  in  a  condition  which  entirely 
unfitted  them  to  continue  the  trip. 

There  is  very  little  to  be  said  about  the  remainder  of 


;i 


SEA-BIRDS 


the  time  that  we  spent  in  Greenland.  We  were  all 
earnestly  longing  for  the  Falcon  to  come  and  take  us 
home. 

One  beautiful  evening  toward  the  close  of  July  two  na- 
tives brought  us  word  that  a  ship  had  arrived.  The  news 
was  received  with  great  joy  and  hearty  cheers. 

The  return  voyage  in  the  Falcon  was  quickly  and  safely 
made,  and  was  without  any  incident  worthy  of  notice. 

This  is  all  that  it  seems  necessary  to  say  concerning 


THE   SECOND  PEAKY  EXPEDITION 


365 


the  expedition.  Lieutenant  Peary  received  a  quantity  of 
provisions  and  coal  from  the  Falcon,  and  remained  at 
winter  quarters,  intending  to  spend  another  year  in  that 
desert  region.  Lee  and  Matt,  the  colored  servant,  alao 
remained  with  him. 


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CHAPTER   XXI 


NATIVES    AT   SMITH    SOUND 


Late  in  the  afternoon  of  July  23,  1891,  the  ICZ/c  was 
slowly  nearing  land  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound. 
P'rom  the  deck  we  discovered  what  appeared  to  be  human 
dwellings.  A  boat  was  quickly  lowered,  and  we  pulled 
for  the  shore.  The  land  was  considerably  elevated,  but 
we  succeeded,  though  with  some  difficulty,  in  effecting  a 
landino;.  We  then  found  a  collection  of  tents  and  earth- 
huts  situated  in  a  sheltered  position  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain. 

There  were  about  a  dozen  people  at  this  little  settle- 
ment. The  men  promptly  came  to  the  shore  to  meet  us, 
but  the  women  and  the  children  cautiously  kept  in  the 
background.  Two  of  us  involuntarily  held  out  our  hands 
to  greet  them  in  the  manner  of  civilized  people,  but  our 
action  made  a  singular  impression  upon  those  with  whom 
we  desired  to  become  acquainted.  Instead  of  shakiiig 
hands  they  stared  at  us  with  surprised  looks  upon  their 
faces,  apparently  without  the  slightest  idea  of  what  we 
meant.  Soon,  however,  they  seemed  to  understand  that 
we  were  peaceable  people,  and  that  we  had  no  intention 
of  injuring  them.  Then  all  was  changed,  and  the  scene 
which  at  first  had  been  quite  dull  became  very  lively  and 

interestino:. 

One  of  our  sailors  who,  during  ihv.  ^^.nding,  happened 
to   be    smoking  a  short    pipe   attracted  a  great   deal    of 


.L.    i 


NATIVES  AT  SMIT/f  SO  CAD 


3f>7 


in  2: 


attention,  and  the  clouds  of  smoke  tliat  he  puffed  out  at 
intervals  made  a  strong  impression  upon  the  natives,  who 
evidently  thought  he  was  endowed  with  mystical  and 
supernatural  gifts.  Their  astonishment  was  greatly  in- 
creased when,  with  a  quick  movement,  he  lighted  a  match 
and  thus  produced  still  larger  clouds  of  smoke  from  his 
remarkable  "  lamp."  It  was  evident  that  the  people  be- 
fore us  had  never  come  in  contact  with  civilized  men,  and 
that  most  of  them  had  never  seen  a  ship.  The  latter 
appeared  to  them  a  wonderful  object. 

The  natives  were  not  the  only  ones  who  were  inter- 
ested and  surprised.  Their  appearance  made  as  strong 
an  impression  upon  our  minds  as  wc  had  made  upon 
their  own.  Uncouth,  dirty,  and  with  features  anything 
but  regular,  they  seemed  to  belong  to  an  inferior  race, 
while  their  long,  shaggy  black  hair,  which  hung  over  their 
skin-clothed  shoulders  and,  in  some  cases,  even  over  their 
small  dark  eyes,  gave  them  a  singularly  sinister  and  an 
almost  terrifying  appearance. 

Later  on  I  saw  that  some  of  the  natives  were  not  so 
neclisfent  in  re2:ard  to  their  hair  as  were  those  with  whom 
we  here  came  in  contact.  Some  of  the  women,  especially 
the  vounG^er  ones,  often  had  their  hair  fastened  in  a  sort 
of  topknot  by  a  thin  seal-skin  strap.  Sometim.cs,  too,  a 
man  would  be  seen  having  a  similar  strap  around  his 
head,  in  order  to  keep  his  eyes  free  from  his  long  greasy 
locks  of  hair.  These  locks,  which  closely  resemble  the 
manes  of  horses,  are  knotted  into  solid  masses,  and  make 
nice  and  warm  domiciles  for  numerous  parasites. 

The  Eskimo  forehead  is  low,  the  face  broad,  and  the 
features  ugly.  The  eyes  are  almond-shaped  and  small, 
but  their  power  of  vision  is  really  wonderful.     The  nose 


.  ,f ■ 


p. 


r 


i 


in 

»•■  I. 


!!■  ■' 


■li 


y,  t 


i    ■»  1 

1 


If 


il: 


I 


\n 


'I 


*!■ 


368 


AC/iOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


is  small  and  broad,  the  mouth  large  with  thick  lips,  which 
with  the  fair  sex  have  no  resemblance  to  the  ideal  "cherry 
lips  "  of  which  so  much  is  said  and  written  by  civilized 
people.  Probably  this  is  the  reason  the  men  do  not  kiss 
their  wives,  but  instead,  if  they  wish  to  show  especial  ten- 
derness, press  their  flat  noses  still  flatter  against  the  faces 
of  the  others.  As  a  rule  this  caress  is  accompanied  by 
an  audi])le  sniff. 

Within  the  protruding  lips  shine  rows  of  strong  teeth 
which  are  firmly  set  in  heavy  muscular  jaws,  and  which 
are  used,  not  only  for  eating,  but  also  for  pulling  loads 
and  in  the  various  kinds  of  their  daily  work. 

The  women  also  understand,  as  well  as  their  sisters 
living  farther  south,  how  to  use  their  mouths.  Some- 
times,  too,  they  use  them  for  very  practical  purposes.  As 
a  single  illustration,  I  will  mention  the  fact  that,  after  it 
has  been  stretched  and  dried,  they  chew,  inch  by  inch, 
each  skin  that  the  men  secure  in  hunting.  In  this  way 
they  make  the  skins  so  pliable  that  they  can  readily  be 
made  into  clothes. 

From  the  description  I  have  given  it  will  readily  be 
seen  that,  if  judged  by  his  face,  an  Eskimo  would  not  take 
a  prize  at  a  beauty  show  in  competition  with  Europeans. 
The  bodies  come  much  nearer  our  ideal,  and  the  hands 
and  feet  are  of  only  medium  size  and  are  well  formed, 
though  the  appearance  of  the  men's  hands  is  often  in- 
jured by  numerous  cuts  and  scars. 

In  regard  to  the  color  of  the  skin  of  these  people  it  is 
difficult  to  n  a  correct  opinion.  This,  because  of  the 
dirt  with  which  it  is  thickly  and  almost  constantly  coated. 
When  sufficiently  clean  to  show  its  natural  tint  it  appears 
to  be  a  light  brown  shaded  with  yellow  or  gray.     Though 


NATIVES  AT  SMmi  SOUND 


3^ 


by 


it  gives  them  a  decidedly  unjileasant  a|)pearance,  the  un- 
cleanness  of  tiie  Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound  should  not  be 
made  too  much  a  matter  of  reproach.  It  is  one  of  the 
natural  and  almost  inevitable  consequences  of  the  hard 
conditions  under  which  they  live. 

During  nine  or  ten  months  of  the  year  all  the  water 
they  have  for  drinking,  cooking,  and  other  purj)oses  is 
obtained  by  melting  snow  or  ice  in  stone  vessels  which 
are  held  over  small  flames  of  blubber.  This  is  not  only 
slow  and  toilsome,  but  if  done  to  any  great  extent  it  also 
requires  a  larger  quantity  of  blubber  than  they  can  well 
provide.  Consequently  a  bath  is  an  unknown  and,  under 
existing  circumstances,  an  almost  impossible  luxury. 
Still,  if  they  were  anxious  to  be  clean  they  might  do 
something  in  this  direction  by  means  of  a  wet  bird-skin 
or  a  sharp  stone.  And  I  think  we  awakened  some  inter- 
est in  this  respect  during  our  sojourn  with  them.  The 
women,  in  whom  a  desire  to  please  seemed  as  strong  as  it 
is  in  their  siste.s  of  civilized  lands,  certainly  made  some 
attempts  to  imfove  their  appearance. 

Possibly  one  reason  why  these  people  care  so  little 
about  cleanliness  is  the  fact  that  it  does  not  appear  to  be 
essential  to  health.  The  air  seems  to  be  free  from  bac- 
teria, and  the  severe  and  long-continued  cold  evidently 
tends  to  prevent  the  diseases  which  filth  is  certain  to  gen- 
erate in  warm  climates. 

The  natives  at  Smith  Sound  arc  isolated  from  all  other 

tribes.     In   1S92  there  were  two  hundred  and  thirty-four 

individuals.     During  the  next   two  years  the  number  of 

births  exceeded  that  of  the  deaths  by  nine. 
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CHAPTER    XXII 

IIUiNTING 

In  order  to  obtain  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Eski- 
mos it  is  necessary  to  observe  them  at  their  daily  occu- 
pations. First  of  all,  you  must  go  hunting  with  them. 
Autumn  has  come,  and  in  every  day  that  passes  the  sun 
draws  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  southern  horizon.  Ere 
long  comes  a  day  when  it  sends  its  last  golden  greeting 
to  the  desert  landscape  and  disappears  from  view.  In 
a  lonely  and  protected  fjord  you  will  see  a  red-cheeked 
Eskimo,  who  by  jumping  over  the  blocks  of  ice  near  the 
land  has  succeeded  in  setting  foot  on  the  newly  frozen 
autumn  ice.  His  face  is  beaming  with  joy.  Life  is  offer- 
ing him  many  attractions.  Summer,  with  its  constant 
smiles  day  and  niL,ht,  had  begun  to  be  somewhat  monoto- 
nous, and  he  greets  the  winter  as  a  dear  and  welcome 
guest.  Now  that  new  ice  has  formed  on  the  bay  he  can 
begin  the  exciting  hunt  for  seals.  On  the  shore  in  front 
of  the  low  hut  stands  his  young,  wife,  smiling  at  the 
thought  of  soon  having  some  fresh  seal  meat  after  living 
during  the  summer  upon  tough  narwhal  flcGh  and  the 
auks,  which  furnish  most  of  the  food  supplies  during  that 
season. 

Cautiously  the  native  tries  the  strength  of  the  ice  with 
his  seal-spear,  and  moves  farther  and  farther  out  upon  its 
glassy  surface.  Smaller  and  smaller  he  seems  to  become, 
until  at  length  he  disappears  behind  an  immense  iceberg. 


HUNTING 


371 


the 
that 


\v 


ith 


This  is  too  much  for  his  three  faithful  clogs  to  quietly 
bear.  Standing  on  the  shore,  they  have  watched,  with 
ears  erect,  and  with  every  indication  of  intense  interest, 
their  master  on  his  lonely  walk.  They  now  pull  impa- 
tiently at   the  straps  with   which  they  are  tied  to  heavy 


WATCHING    FOR    SEAL 


stones,  and  their  plaintive  howds  fill  the  air.  They  realize 
that  the  ice  is  strong  enough  to  bear,  and  still  they  are 
left  behind.  Does  their  master  forget  how  cheerfully  they 
used  to  draw  him  on  the  sledge  over  the  ice.''  His  appar- 
ent neglect  seems  more  than  they  can  endure.  Their 
howls  become  still  louder  and  more  dismal  until  his  wife 
goes  up  to  them  and  pets  them  all.  Then  they  lie  down 
on  the  cold  rocks  and  go  to  sleep. 

Meanwhile  the  hunter  continues  his  walk  upon  the  ice. 
He  moves  slowly,  and  has  an  air  of  constant  watchfulness. 


\m 


fpli 


•■  I 


ii 


lit.' 


I- 1 


f' 

!  ^     i.,. 

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1 . 

' 

^, 

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i 

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r 

'* , 

,;\ 


372 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


In  his  right  hand  he  carries  a  seal-spear  and  the  line 
belonging  to  it.  In  his  left  hand  he  has  a  piece  of  bear- 
skin, and  fastened  with  a  strap  on  his  back  is  a  well-worn 
hunting-knife  with  a  handle  made  from  the  tooth  of  a 
walrus. 

Suddenly  he  stops  and  bends  over  the  ice.  He  has  dis- 
covered an  opening  about  five  inches  in  diameter.  This 
is  a  breathing-hole  of  a  seal.  He  now  cautiously  places 
the  small  piece  of  skin  on  the  ice  near  the  hole,  and 
quietly  sits  down  to  await  the  appearance  of  the  seal. 
But  as  a  seal  often  has  several  of  these  breathing-holes 
it  may  be  a  long  time  before  he  will  come  to  the  one 
at  which  the  hunter  is  located.  Patiently  the  hunter  sits 
there,  hour  after  hour,  like  a  cat  watching  a  rat-hole,  until 
the  nose  of  the  seal  appears  in  the  small  opening. 

This  is  a  critical  moment.  The  opening  is  small,  and 
the  spear  must  be  guided  with  a  true  aim  and  sure  hand 
or  the  game  will  be  missed,  and  the  long  and  weary  wait 
will  bring  no  return.  If  the  hunter  fails,  and  there  is  a 
lack  of  food  at  the  house,  he  must  either  wait  again  or, 
if  he  happens  to  know  of  other  breathing-holes,  go  as 
quickly  as  possible  to  the  one  which  he  thinks  the  fright- 
ened seal  will  be  the  most  likely  to  visit. 

If  he  hits  the  seal  he  finds  that  the  opening,  which  was 
made  only  for  its  nose,  is  much  too  small  to  allow  the 
body  of  the  animal  to  come  through.  He  therefore  at 
once  sets  to  work  to  enlarge  the  spot.  This  work  is  done 
with  the  hunting-knife,  which  is  used  with  wonderful  dex- 
terity. If,  when  it  is  pulled  upon  the  ice,  the  seal  is  not 
dead,  it  is  killed  with  the  knife,  but  with  a  bone  needle 
the  hunter  soon  sews  up  the  wound,  in  order  to  prevent  as 
far  as  possible  the  loss  of  blood. 


HUNTING 


373 


Then,  with  his  heart  filled  with  joy,  the  native  returns 
to  the  shore  to  get  the  dogs  and  sledge  with  which  to 
take  the  game  home.  He  could,  without  much  difficulty, 
pull  the  seal  along  over  the  snow-free  ice,  but  the  desire 
to  enjoy  the  first  sledge-ride  of  the  season  is  too  strong  to 
be  resisted. 

He  is  soon  with  his  dogs.  They  greet  him  with  deaf- 
ening barks  as  he  approaches  the  shore.  They  are 
cjuickly  loosened  and  everything  is  made  ready  for  the 
trip.  With  a  practised  hand  the  master  swings  the  short 
whip  handle,  to  which  a  lash  about  seventeen  feet  in 
length  is  attached,  and  the  team  carefully  picks  its  way 
over  the  rough  stones.  When  the  clear  ice  is  reached  it 
strikes  into  a  full  gallop.     No  reins  are  used  in  guiding 


t 


I  'I 


llh 


I     II 


fht- 


m 


:    I 


SLEDGE    FROM    SMITH   SOUND 


the 
at 


lone 


not 

ledle 

it  as 


this  wild  team.  Only  the  whip  is  needed  for  their  con- 
trol. When  the  driver  beats  on  the  ice  to  the  left  of  the 
animals  they  go  to  the  right,  and  when  he  strikes  the  ice 
on  the  oiher  side  they  move  to  the  left.  If  he  wants  to 
hurry  one  of  the  dogs  he  knows  how  to  touch  a  tender 
spot,  but  he  is  usually  careful  not  to  be  too  severe. 

The  seal  is  soon  reached  and  placed  upon  the  sledge. 
On  the  way  home  the  hunter  may  make  a  detour  to  some 


-M 


Mf 


t: .. 


;^^'l: 


ii    '  ■': 


!'     (I;! 
I  : 


n  'iv 


wm 


f      '•'!      , 

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^  t      ■ 
1 , 

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tV 


t      'I . 


;■, 


374 


ACM  OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


tongue  of  land  where  he  has  a  fox-trap  which  he  wishes 
to  examine  and  see  if  it  is  in  order  for  the  coming  winter. 
These  traps  are  made  of  flat  stones  of  about  uniform  size, 
and  placed  in  a  rectangular  position.  A  large  flat  stone 
is  so  arranged  that  when  a  fox  pulls  at  a  piece  of  blubber 
that  is  placed  at  the  farther  side  of  the  inclosure  it  falls 


ESKIMO    KOX-IRAP 


and  completely  closes  the  opening  by  which  he  entered. 
How  many  foxes  are  caught  in  this  way  I  cannot  tell,  but 
it  must  be  a  large  number.  It  requires  about  eight  skins 
to  make  a  coat  for  a  man,  and  the  garments  are  not  very 
durable. 

Formerly  the  Eskimos  made  traps  in  this  form,  but 
considerably  larger,  for  bears.  In  1894  I  saw  the  ruins  of 
an  immense  trap  of  this  description  on  the  now  uninhab- 
ited Ellesmere  Land.  But  at  present  such  means  are  not 
employed.  A  considerable  number  of  bears  are  killed  in 
these  regions  every  year,  but  the  work  is  done  la  a  braver 
manner  than  by  catching  them  in  traps. 

The  finest  place  for  bear-hunting  is  south  of  Cape 
York,  on  the  ice-bound  Melville  Bay.     Out  on  these  vast 


lU 


HUNTING 


375 


fields  of  ice,  far  from  home,  the  Eskimo  has  fought  many 
a  hard  battle  with  the  large  and  powerful  Arctic  bear. 

To  conduct  such  a  battle  successfully  both  courage  and 
presence  of  mind  are  required.  Consequently  some  of 
the  natives  are  much  better  adapted  for  this  work  than 
are  others.  At  the  present  time  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent hunters  in  this  section  is  a  man  named  Akpallia. 
When  we  saw  him  in  1891  he  called  himself  Nordingjer, 
but  two  years   later  we  found  that,  without  apj^lying   to 


BEAR    AlTACKINi;    SKAI, 


the  courts  for  permission,  he  had  changed  his  name.  I 
could  not  obtain  from  him  any  definite  information  re- 
garding the  reason  for  this  proceeding.  Possibly  he  had 
been  bothered   with  letters  intended   for  another  person 


III 


\    , 


V'l 


li 

1  t 

liiii 

1^ 

(  .< 


IM 


376 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


n; 

% 


I, 


11  ^]  :^ 


of  the  same  name.  Well,  however  the  matter  may  be 
exj)lained,  the  man  is  an  experienced  bear-iiunter.  He  is 
nearly  forty  years  of  age,  and  many  a  hairy  giant  has  per- 
ished at  his  hand.  Soon  after  his  return  from  a  hunting- 
trip  I  obtained  shelter  for  the  night  in  his  hut.  It  was 
riunored  that  for  once  the  bears  had  the  best  of  the  fight, 
and  that  they  had  torn  one  of  his  arms  and  also  killed 
two  of  his  dogs.  After  making  many  inquiries  I  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  from  him  an  account  of  his  latest 
trip.  This,  in  substance,  I  will  repeat,  as  it  will  give  the 
reader  a  pretty  good  impression  as  to  the  general  method 
in  which  bear-hunting  is  conducted. 

During  the  month  of  March  Akpallia  suddenly  felt  an 
ardent  desire  to  revisit  Melville  Bay,  his  old  hunting- 
ground.  He  promptly  repaired  his  sledge,  patched  his 
bird-skin  shirt  (he  was  a  widow^er  and  therefore  had  to  do 
this  work  himself),  and  gave  his  dogs  a  good  meal.  This 
done  he  took  a  long  sleep,  and  in  the  morning,  after 
leaving  his  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls,  in  the  care  of  a 
neighbor,  he  started  on  his  expedition.  Four  days  later 
he  arrived  at  Cape  York,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  distant  from  his  home.  Here  the  bear-hunters  have 
their  headquarters.  There  are  usually  several  families 
located  at  this  point,  and  most  of  the  men  are  expert 
hunters. 

Akpallia  remained  for  a  couple  of  days  among  the 
flesh-pots  of  the  Cape  York  colony.  Two  of  the  local 
hunters  agreed  to  accompany  him  on  his  intended  trip. 
One  of  these  was  only  a  half-grown  lad,  but  he  was  taken 
alone  because  he  was  the  ow^ner  of  a  ijenuine  jjun.  This 
he  had  obtained  from  the  crew  of  an  English  whaling 
ship  in  exchange  for  a  large  quantity  of  ivory,  and  he  was 


il 


HUNTING 


111 


was 


much  elated  at  seciirini;  what  he  considered  a  <j[reat  bar- 
gain.  Though  at  this  time  he  had  only  j)owder  enough 
for  two  loads,  and  had  no  lead  for  balls,  but  was  obliged 
to  use  small  stones  in  their  stead,  and  though  by  an  un- 
fortunate explosion  the  length  of  the  barrel  had  been  re- 
duced to  about  twenty  inches,  the  gun  was  still  regarded 
as  rather  a  formidable  weapon,  and  its  young  owner  was 
as  highly  regarded  by  his  comrades  as  though  he  hnd 
killed  a  dozen  bears. 

At  length  the  three  hunters  left  Cape  York.  They 
had  three  sledges  and  fifteen  dogs.  For  two  days  their 
search  was  in  vain,  but  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day 
they  found  the  fresh  tracks  of  bears. 

One  who  has  never  seen  the  Eskimo  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances can  form  no  adequate  idea  of  the  intense  ex- 
citement into  which  he  is  thrown  by  such  an  c  nt.  The 
dogs,  too,  show  a  wonderful  degree  of  interest,  holding 
up  their  heads,  erecting  their  ears,  and  eagerly  gazing 
over  the  great  white  field  of  ice.  Their  masters  talk  in 
rapid  whispers,  stop  and  .  ■  n,  run  a  short  distance,  then 
stop  and  look  around  again,  v  ntil  *:he  observer  begins  to 
seriously  question  whether  people  who  act  in  such  an 
apparently  ridiculous  manner  because  they  have  found 
the  tracks  of  a  bear  can  be  skiKul  hunters.  But  further 
observations  will  convince  him  that,  notwithstanding  such 
childish  actions  at  certain  times,  they  show  the  most  won- 
derful presence  of  mind  when  in  dangerous  situations. 

The  tracks  discovered  by  our  friends  were  those  of  a 
female  bear  and  her  two  cubs.  For  a  time  the  hunters 
all  followed  the  same  tracks  ;  but  when,  after  proceeding 
for  some  distance,  they  came  to  the  fresh  track  of  a  sin- 
gle bear,  leading  in  an  entirely  different  direction,  they 


lii 


li^i 


;■  * 


iilll 


r  r- 


37'^ 


ACJ^OSS  NORTHERN   GREENLAND 


II 

I"  I 

I:? 

I' '  J 

Cli' 

I.; 

1. 


If! 


parted,  Akpallia  clioosing  to  follow  the  track  last  discov- 
ered and  to  attemj)t  to  kill  the  bear  without  the  aid  of  his 
companions. 

At  len<'th  he  caught  si<>ht  of  the  bear  of  which  he  was 
in  pursuit.  It  was  lyini;-  at  the  foot  of  an  iceberi^,  c|uietly 
sunning  itself,  but  so  far  away  that  it  apjjeared  like  an 
almost  shapeless  mass.  The  excitement  of  the  hunter  is 
now  intense.  In  a  hoarse  and  mufried  voice  he  exclaims 
to  his  dogs,  "Takkotakko!  takkotakko!"  (look!  look!). 
The  dogs  at  once  turn  tlicir  heads  inquiringly  toward 
their  master  as  if  to  ask  if  he  has  really  discovered  some- 
thing. They  can  only  see  the  monotonous  snow-drifts 
and  the  fields  of  ice,  which  stretch  in  every  direction  be- 
yond the  utmost  limit  of  their  vision.  Then  he  con- 
tinues: "  Nannuk  !  nannuk  !  nannuksua!"  (a  bear!  a 
bear !  a  large  bear !).  Hardly  are  these  words  uttered 
when  the  dogs  become  so  excited  that  he  cannot  restrain 
them.  They  leave  the  long  circuitous  course  of  the 
track  and  rush  instinctively,  and  in  the  wildest  haste, 
in  the  ri<j:ht  direction. 

When  they  are  only  about  a  half  mile  distant  from  the 
bear,  he  rises  and  for  a  moment  stands  erect,  with  head 
and  neck  stretched  out  towvard  the  approaching  team.  In 
this  position  he  becomes  visible  to  the  dogs,  who  now  pull 
the  sledge  over  the  ice  with  increasing  fury.  The  bear 
appears  to  know  by  intuition  the  bloodthirsty  character  of 
the  Eskimo  and  his  swift-footed  dogs,  and  with  all  possible 
speed  he  flees  from  the  dangerous  place.  Akpallia  jumps 
from  the  sledfje  to  make  it  liq-hter  for  the  dog:s,  and,  hold- 
ing  with  his  hands  one  of  the  guiding  arms  behind,  his 
legs  dance  wildly  under  him  as  he  follows  the  frenzied 
animals. 


r    ^! 


'!  ifil 


HUNTJXG 


379 


The  bear  runs  fast,  but  he  cannot  go  as  rapidly  as  the 
clogs.  The  distance  between  them  becomes  percejitibly 
shorter.  Hut  Akpallia  has  to  jump  on  tlie  sledge  again 
in  oriler  to  save  his  strenuth  for  tiie  cominu  stru<'<>le. 
He  is  a  rather  large  man,  and  his  weight  considerably 
retards  the  si)eed  of  the  dogs,  but  he  knows  that  bears 
cannot  run  a  long  distance  and  that  the  hunted  animal 
will  soon  be  obliged  to  slacken  his  pace. 

At  length  the  team  is  within  al)()Ut  four  hundred  feet 
of  the  bear.  Then  Akpallia  bends  over  and  cuts  the  rope 
that  keeps  the  dogs  together.  The  sledge  sto])s  instantly 
and  the  loosened  dogs  rush  lor  the  enemy  with  almost 
lightning  speed.  As  soon  as  the  bear  perceives  that 
flight  will  be  of  no  avail,  he  turns  and  faces  his  assailants. 

Meanwhile  Akpallia  has  seized  his  sjjear  from  the 
sledge  and  is  hasting  to  the  battle-field.  'I'his  hardy  son 
of  the  icy  desert  knows  nothing  of  fear.  Ills  two  com- 
panions long  ago  disajipeared  in  the  distance.  Single- 
handed  he  is  to  fight  a  ferocious  beast  of  prey  —  a  beast 
that  with  one  blow  of  its  paw  can  easily  take  his  life. 
Intelligence,  coolness,  strength,  courage,  endurance,  and 
agility  will  all  be  required  to  give  him  a  fair  probability 
that  the  conflict  will  end  to  his  advantage. 

As  soon  as  Akpallia  reaches  his  prey  he  grasps  his 
spear  with  both  hands,  and  with  all  his  strength  endeavors 
to  pierce  the  bear  to  its  heart.  But  the  animal,  turning 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  deflects  the  course  of  the 
spear,  and  its  point  strikes  his  broad  shoulder-blade.  In 
a  moment  the  bear  breaks  the  spear  with  his  paw  and 
Akpallia  is  disarmed.  Wholly  ignoring  the  barking 
dogs,  the  wounded  animal  turns  in  rage  upon  the  hunter 
Akpallia  takes  a  few  steps  in  the  snow  in  order  to  reach 


;:i 


lit 


It 


1      '! 


t      ,  I 


Ml 


Ff 


I 


I 


1 

i 


380 


^CA'OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


^'1 


\ 

\  ■ 

\\ 

ii 

- 

" »;  11 

H-,!  f" 

i 

f. 

\\\  \  I 


r. 


M, 

'*»<. 


!    i      i 


11^ 


\ 


\ 


Ills  knife,  which  he  threw  down  when  |)rcparinc;  to  make 
an  attack  with  the  spear,  but  his  foot  sHps,  he  falls,  and 
the  next  instant  a  forepaw  of  the  bear  is  resting  heavily 
upon  the  upper  part  of  his  left  arm.  With  almost  super- 
human efforts  he  tries  to  get  free,  he  screams  in  the  face 
of  the  mighty  brute  in  hope  of  scaring  it  away,  he  strikes 
airainst  its  breast  with  his  fist.  All  in  vain  !  The  claws 
of  the  bear  have  penetrated  deeply  into  his  flesh,  and  he 
cannot  loosen  their  hold. 

It  is  only  because  the  bear  has  other  foes  that  are  dis- 
tractiuLi:  his  attention  that  he  does  not  do  the  hunter 
more  harm.  No  sooner  do  the  dogs  see  the  prec'cament 
in  which  their  master  is  placed  than  they  make  a  fero- 
cious but  foolhardy  attack  upon  his  foe.  The  two  oldest, 
a  pair  of  handsome  animals  resembling  wolves  in  appear- 
ance, that  have  been-  with  their  master  in  many  a  hard- 
fought  battle,  attack  the  bear  in  front,  one  of  them  even 
biting  the  paw  that  holds  the  arm  of  his  master  in  the 
snow.  But  the  bear  does  not  loosen  its  grip.  With  a 
quick  blow  of  the  other  paw  it  puts  one  of  the  dogs  out  of 
the  fight.  The  situation,  which  was  danjjerous  before, 
has  now  become  desperate.  But  it  soon  grows  worse. 
Anotlier  bear  appears  from  behind  an  iceberg  near  by,  a 
second  dog  has  fallen  bleeding  upon  the  snow,  and 
Akpallia  appears  to  be  beyond  all  hope  of  deliverance. 

At  this  cri*"':al  moment  two  sledges  appear.  They  are 
coming  at  full  speed  around  the  iceberg,  which  had  long 
kept  the  bear  last  noted  from  view.  With  these  sledges 
are  the  comrades  of  the  prostrate  hunter.  Seeing  his 
condition,  they  give  terrific  yells,  which  he  answers  with 
loud  calls  for  help. 

The  bear  now  leaves  his  victim,  joins  the  other  beast, 


ii 


Kskinio  Kniveii 


Knife  with  Ivory  I'lLulc  and  Wooden  Handle 


<Oc^:^z 


Ivory  I'm,  tvvolliirds  natural  size 


Pi 


and 

f  are 
long 
dgcs 
his 
with 

east, 


ltov\'s 


Spear  or  Lance 


Arrow-Head,  one  fourth  actual  size 
DIFFFRENT    WKAPONS    AND    IMPI.KMKNTS 


^J> 


r' 


11 1 


a. 


w  r 


M 


Hi. 


h 


382 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


and  Akpallia  is  saved.  The  dogs  from  the  newly  arrived 
sledges  are  set  at  liberty,  and  intercept  the  bears  in  their 
flight.  After  a  short  but  sharp  fight,  in  which  the  dilapi- 
dated gun  plays  an  important  part,  the  huge  beasts  are 
slain.  Then  Akpallia's  wounds,  which  fortunately  have 
not  caused  much  loss  of  blood,  arc  bandaged  with  long 
strips  of  dirty  and  greasy  seal-skin,  the  bears  are  skinned, 
and  as  much  of  the  meat  as  can  be  carried  is  loaded  upon 
the  sled<j:es. 

One  of  the  wounded  dogs  had  died  upon  the  spot. 
The  other  was  still  alive,  and  was  taken  home  on  a  sled<2:e. 
In  due  time  the  hunters  reached  the  colony  at  Cape  York, 
where  their  adventure,  with  all  of  its  details,  was  de- 
scribed to  an  interested  and  appreciative  audience. 

Similar  things  often  occur  in  Eskimo  bear-hunts.  The 
life  of  the  hunter  is  like  a  oame  in  which  no  one  can 
refuse  to  take  part.  The  stakes  are  high,  even  life  itself; 
clothes  an-l  food  sufficient  to  last  for  only  a  short  time  are 
the  prizes  to  be  gained. 

The  manner  in  which  t'ne  natives  hunt  the  walrus  in 
these  regions  also  seems  to  be  worthy  of  description. 

Very  early  in  the  spring  the  families  leave  their  winter 
huts  ak)ng  the  coast  near  Inglefield  Gulf  to  go  north 
almost  to  Cape  Alexander,  where  they  temporarily  live  in 
snow  huts. 

Early  on  some  morning  when  the  weather  is  clear  and 
favorable,  the  men  set  out  for  a  walrus  hunt.  There  are, 
perhaps,  a  dozen  sledges.  Each  is  drawn  by  five  or  six 
dogs  and  carries  two  hunters.  As  a  rule  it  requires  a 
drive  of  two  hours  to  reach  a  good  hunting-place,  which 
must  be  near  the  open  sea.  Sledges  are  left  quite  a  dis- 
tance back  of  the  thin  ice,  where  the  hunt  takes  place. 


HUNTING 


383 


and 

are, 

six 

res  a 

/hich 

dis- 

)lace. 


The  dogs  are  taken  along  and  i)lay  an  important  part  in 
the  affair.  The  hunters  walk  about  a  half  mile,  or  farther 
if  necessary,  to  ice  which  moves  with  (^very  step  they 
take.  They  now  have  to  use  great  care  to  avoid  dan- 
gerous places,  and  are  obliged  to  continually  test  the 
strength  of  the  ice  with  their  spears.  These  implements 
usually  have  a  pointed  piece  of  narwhal  tooth  tied  to  one 
end  to  prevent  their  slipping  on  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
ice,  but  a  few  are  fitted  with  pieces  of  iron  which  their 
owners  obtained  by  bartc  from  white  men,  by  wh(jm  they 
are  visited  only  at  long  intervals.  This  spear  is  about 
five  feet  in  length.  It  is  illustrated  in  the  collection  of 
weajDons  and  implemerts,  a  drawing  of  which  will  be 
found  on  a  preceding  page. 

It  is  on  the  thin  wavy  ice  cover  just  described  that  the 
hunt  begins.  Soon  there  seems  to  be  a  sino-insj  and 
cracking  in  the  ice ;  then  there  is  a  break  into  many 
pieces,  and  up  through  the  opening  thus  formed  a 
bearded  walrus  quietly  and  majestically  lifts  its  large 
head  and  grinning  face.  You  hear  its  deep  breathing, 
that  in  the  twiliijht  of  the  forenoon  seems  to  resemble  a 
slow  snoring,  and  you  see  its  breath  like  a  cloud  of  x-apor, 
which  in  the  very  low  temperature  that  prevails  looks  as 
white  and  shining  as  the  steam  from  the  valves  of  an 
engine.  A  moment  afterward  the  animal  slowly  and 
quietly  disappears  in  the  deep.  The  cold  waves  close 
over  the  dark  head,  but  even  while  it  is  descending  3'ou 
hear  similar  sounds  from  other  places. 

It  is  usually  while  the  walrus  is  engaged  in  breaking 
the  thin  ice  in  order  to  form  a  breathing-hole  that  the 
Eskimo  rushes  to  the  attack,  though  sometimes,  in  spite  of 
the  cold,  one  is  found  that  has  crept  up  on  the  ice  where 
it  was  strong  enoucrh  to  bear  its  weisfht. 


)i 


■^'^ 


Mjl  ^ 


99 


I 


.      :   i 
1*1   ' 


'I    I 


I" 


:::- 


.1 1 1: 


.': 


3'^M 


.ICJCOSS  iWRTIlEKN  GREENLAND 


As  a  rule  tin*  native  uses  only  the  spear  when  he 
attaeks  a  walrus.  J'his  s|)ear  is  made  in  suc:h  a  w.iy  that 
it  e.ui  be  used  as  a  harpoon  it  desired,  and  thus  saves 
the  trouble  ot  carryini;  two  kinds  of  instruments.  As 
the  skin  of  the  walrus  is  e\eeedinL;iy  thi'k  and  tough,  the 
hunter  thrusts  the  spe.u'  into  its  body  with  his  right 
hand  instead  t)f  throwing  it,  and  in  his  left  hand  holds  a 
eoiled  line  that  is  firmly  fasteried  to  it.  The  sj)ear  is 
made  in  a  form  that  admits  of  its  being  i)ulled  from  the 
aniuial,  while  the  hari)oon  eould  not  be  drawn  out. 

.\s  soon  as  the  walrus  is  struek  it  disaj)|)ears  in  the 
vater,  and  the  lumter  must  be  alert  and  aetive  to  j)reveni 
his  earrying  away  the  s])ear  and  line.  lie  eannot  rely 
upon  his  mere  physieal  strength  in  sueh  a  eontest.  With 
a  strong  blow  hi.'  plants  the  pike  of  the  sj)ear  in  the  iee, 
and  winds  the  line  around  it  twiee.  If  the  pike  gives 
wav  or  the  iee  breaks  wlvM-e  it  is  driven  in,  the  game  will 
be  lost,  and  with  it  also  the  spear-head  and  line.  It  some- 
times oceurs  that  the  feet  or  legs  of  the  hunter  beeonie 
entangled  in  the  line,  and  he  is  drawn  into  the  wattM". 
Two  hunters  fn)m  tliis  small  tribe  have  recently  })erished 
in  this  way. 

But  suppose  the  ice  and  spear  hold,  and  all  goes  well, 
in  this  case  the  hunter  feels  greatly  relieved  when  the 
line  slackens.  Soon  the  animal  airain  comes  to  the  sur- 
face.  With  his  knife  the  hunter  quickly  makes  two  holes 
in  the  ice,  draws  the  line  down  one  of  the  holes  and  up 
through  the  other.  Now  the  spear  is  free,  and  every  time 
the  animal  comes  to  the  surface  it  receives  a  sharp  thrust. 
This  is  continued  until  the  walrus  dies  from  wounds  and 
exhaustion. 

In  summer  the  North  Greenland  walrus  are  often  seen 


i|i 


■  •  < 


[)mc- 

comc 

ater. 

ishcd 

well, 
the 
.'  sur- 
holes 
d  up 
time 
irust. 
s  and 


7] 


r 

(T, 


ill 


¥ 


ft  : 


r 


tin 


seen 


25 


:Hli 


If 


1?  •" — IT 


m 


ff  ; 


U    i 


386 


ACROSS  NORTiriiRN  GREENLAND 


in  companies  of  considerable  size.  Then  it  is  not  safe  to 
disturb  them.  To  attack  tliem  in  an  t)pen  boat  involves 
considerable  danuer,  and  to  interfere  with  them  in  a  kaiak 
would  be  etjuivalent  to  suicide.  Of  these  facts  wc  had  a 
l)ractical  illustration  in  August,  1891,  when  Dr.  Cook, 
(iibson,  Verlioeff,  and  myself  were  taking-  a  boat  trip  over 
Whale  Sound.  Wc  saw  several  herds  of  walrus  sunning 
themselves  on  floating  ice.  Upon  making  an  attack  we 
were,  to  our  great  surprise,  immediately  surrounded  by 
something  like  a  hundred  of  these  monsters,  which  evi- 
dently were  bent  upon  our  destruction.  Fortunately  we 
were  all  well  armed  with  rapid-firing  magazine  rifles,  and 
l^lkva,  an  l^skimo  who  was  with  us,  had  a  harpoon  and  a 
spear.  But  notwithstanding  our  excellent  equipment  for 
the  battle,  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  we  escaped 
from  the  enraged  animals.  It  was  a  long  and  hard  fight, 
some  of  the  time  at  such  close  quarters  that  we  used  our 
oars  and  boat-hooks  to  drive  off  those  of  the  herd  that 
were  so  close  as  to  threaten  the  instant  destruction  of  our 
craft.  How  many  of  the  animals  we  had  killed  during 
the  fight  we  could  not  tell,  as  most  of  the  dead  ones  were 
drawn  under  the  water  by  their  comrades,  who  used  their 
long  tusks  for  this  j)urj)ose.  With  the  harpoon  lines 
which  the  native  had  brouijht  we  secured  two  bodies. 
During  such  a  fight  the  aim  of  the  walrus  is  to  get  his 
tusks  over  the  edge  of  the  boat,  by  which  means  it  would 
easily  be  capsized.  If  he  is  successful  there  is  little  hope 
for  the  occupants  unless  there  is  another  boat  close  by. 
In  earlier  times  many  Norwesjian  walrus  hunters  lost 
their  lives  in  this  manner  at  Spitzbergen. 

In  addition  to  the  method  of  hunting  for  seals  which 
has  already  been  described,  which  takes  place  on  the  new 


c  to 

Ivcs 
aiak 
ad  a 
ook, 
over 

niiv4 

hi  we 

(1   by 
\  evi- 
ly  we 
■i,  and 
ind  a 
nt  for 
,caped 
.  fi<dit, 
2d  our 

that 
of  our 
iluring 
s  were 
|l  their 

Hnes 
bodies. 

;t  his 


wou 


Id 


hope 
by 


kse 


lost 


hich 


w 


le  new 


\w 


388 


.■u Vi'r^v.v  .\()A' /'///: A'x  (;h'/:/':.\/..i.\/) 


i\ 


ice  in  autumn  .uul  v.\v\\'  winter,  and  whicii  is  called  "  niau- 
j)()I<,"  or  waitini;  hunt,  tlu  re  is  anotluT  nK'thod  of  seeui"inn' 
these  animals  that  is  ol  sullieient  importance  to  justify  its 
description.  This  plan  i^  lollowcd  in  spring  and  summer, 
when  the  si-als  s|)end  nuich  ol  the  time  hint;'  upon  the 
surface  ol  tlu"  sunlit  ice.  in  .\i)ril  the  ici-,  which  com- 
menced to  torm  six  months  beloi'c,  has  ri-achcd  a  thick- 
ness ol  ahout  li\-e  feet.  It  is  therefore  only  by  great 
perse\-eranie  and  the  giadual  enlargem^-nt  of  its  hreath- 
ing-hoU's,  th.u  the  small  Ijord  seal  can  make  its  way 
thi-ough  the  thick  ice  in  the  s|)ring. 

l'"or  this  kind  of  a  hunt  the  i'.skimo  likes  to  start  early 
in  the  mornin''-,  so  that  he  mav  ha\e  plenty  of  time  for 
the  work  that  is  before  him.  To  be  sure,  the  sun  at 
the  vnd  of  .\|)ril  is  u|)  da\-  and  night,  and  at  any  houi" 
in  the  twentv-four  vou  luav  see  seals  upon  the  ice.  Hut  in 
the  daytime  the  sunshine  is  stronger,  the  air  is  warmer, 
and  the  seals  are  more  sleepy,  and  consequently  are  more 
easily  captured  than  they  are  at  night. 

The  I'.ative  has  not  been  long  upon  the  ice,  before  with 
his  keen  vision,  he  detects  some*  dark  spots  far  away  on 
the  white  expanse.  lie  chooses  one  of  these,  and  soon 
his  swift  dotrs  brinu;  him  to  within  a  half  mile  of  his  game, 
llere  he  halts  lest  the  doirs  should  frighten  the  seals,  cans- 
ing  them  to  jilunge  into  the  water  and  escajie.  y\fter 
leaving  his  team  the  hunter  takes  his  harpoon  and  goes 
on  foot  toward  his  game. 

As  he  approaches  the  seals  he  bends  over  more  and 
more  imtil  at  last  he  gets  down  upon  the  snow  and  creeps 
on  his  hands  and  knees.  He  wishes  to  have  the  seal 
believe  i  is  not  an  enemy,  but  one  of  his  own  kind  that  is 
approaciung.     If  one  of  the  animals  looks  up  the  hunter 


JlUiYriXG 


3S9 


at  once  slops  luoviiiL;"  .iIoiil;,  s(:ra])c's  in  the  >n(ivv  with  one 
hand  or  toot  as  the  st-als  often  flo,  and  imitates  the  sin^n- 
lar  liissini;'  sound  \\hi(  h  thi'y  make. 

It  is  very  interesting;  to  observe  from  a  j)oint  near  by 
the  seals  and  their  h.ibits  and  ways.  Sonu'  will  be  seen 
restini;  eomfortably  on  their  sides  like  human  beini^s, 
some  lyini;  on  their  bellies  with  their  heads  down  on  the 


wi 


th 


on 


soon 
^anie. 

caus- 
,  After 


eocs 


anc 


Lrcep;- 


sc 


al 


Ihat  is 
ainter 


1/ 


siiooiinm;  skai.s 


ice  and  apparently  aslcej),  and  others  lyini;  on  their  backs 
and  scratchinjjj  their  round  bodies  with  their  short  fore- 
paws.  Now  and  then  one  will  c|uiekly  raise  the  upper 
part  of  its  body,  stretch  its  flexible  neck,  and  look  ear- 
nestly around,  scenting  in  all  directions. 

When  the  hunter  has  approached  quite  near  the  seals, 
he  suddenly  rises,  takes  a  fe\v  quick  jumps  to  get  as  close 
to  them  as  possible,  and  the  next  moment  his  harpoon 
fiies  through  the  air.  One  of  the  animals  has  been  struck 
in  the  back.  They  all  disappear  in  the  water,  but  the 
wounded  one   is  soon  drawn   up   on   the  ice  and  killed. 


r ''  f  - 


t :' 


I 


39° 


ACA'OSS   NORTIfERN  GREENLAND 


'Hie  luintcr  now  calls  his  doi^s,  and  they  come  to  him  at 
their  highest  sjiccd.  The  method  of  killing  seals  with 
firearms  hardly  needs  to  be  described. 

Of  the  lari^er  animals  of  the  sea  that  are  hunted  by  the 
Eskimos  only  the  narwhal  remains  to  be  mentioned.  The 
hunt  is  now  pursued  in  kaiaks,  but  until  about  i(S7o  the 
natives  had  nothing  of  this  description,  and  the  hunt- 
inii  was  done  on  fioatint^  ice.  The  Iiskimos  of  North 
Greenland,  having  used  them  for  so  short  a  time,  do  not 
make  as  fine  kaiaks  as  their  South  Greenland  brethren,  or 
manai^e  them  with  anvtiiint^  like  the  same  decree  of  skill. 
In  fact,  the  kaiaks  in  use  at  Smith  Sound  at  the  time  of 
our  visit  were  both  clumsy  and  dangerous. 

The  hunters  of  narwhal  keep  their  kaiaks  near  together, 
and  as  soon  as  one  of  the  j^arty  has  harpooned  an  animal 
the  remainder  hasten  to  his  assistance.  When  the  ani- 
mal has  been  killed  they  all  join  in  towing  ir  home.  The 
irame  is  then  divided  accordinu;  to  certain  established 
rules.  The  one  who  first  attacks  and  wounds  an  animal, 
be  it  narwhal,  bear,  seal,  walrus,  or  reindeer,  is  always 
regarded  as  its  real  slayer,  and  therefore  receives  the  lion's 
share  of  the  resulting  honors  and  profits. 

The  meat  of  the  narwhal  is  quite  tough,  but  the  natives 
consider  it  both  nourishing  and  palatable.  In  summer  it 
can  be  obtained  in  large  quantities.  The  sinews  along 
the  back  arc  dried  and  used  for  thread.  They  are  mucli 
stronc:er  than  are  those  which  are  obtained  from  the  rein- 
deer  and  which  also  serve  the  same  purpose. 

Amonij  the  land  animals  which  the  natives  of  this 
region  engage  in  hunting,  the  reindeer  is  by  far  the  most 
important.  In  former  years  the  hunt  in  this  region  did 
not  amount  to  much.     The  reindeer  were  numerous  ;  but 


HUNTING 


39' 


1  at 
A-ith 

'  the 
The 
>  the 
lunt- 
^orth 
o  not 
jn,  or 
skill, 
me  of 

;cther, 

mimal 

le  ani- 

Thc 


)11S 


.ni 


shed 
mal, 


ways 
lion's 

lativcs 

micr  it 

along 

much 

c  I'cin- 

)f    this 

e  most 

on  did 

^s  ;  but 


as  the  bow  and  arrow  formed  the  only  wcajion  used  for 
this  purpose,  it  was  difficult  to  kill  them.  They  were 
hunted,  especially  in  spring  and  summer,  principally  for 
sport  and  with  very  little  regaid  to  the  value  of  their  flesh 
and    skins.       But    when    the    natives    obtained    rifles,    as 


4^^,       ^^^K 


\^  ^ 


KKINDKER 


several  of  them  did  from  the  Peary  expeditions,  and  be- 
came acquainted  with  their  use,  reindeer  meat  became  a 
common  article  of  diet,  and  the  skin  came  into  very  gen- 
eral use  as  a  material  for  men's  clothing.  In  1891,  when 
we  first  visited  this  locality,  the  natives  were  using  the 
bow  and  arrow  almost  exclusively  for  hunting ;  but  before 
our  departure  in  1894  these  articles  had  been  pretty  gen- 
erally discarded,  and  it  is  probable  that  in  the  compara- 
tively near  future  they  will  be  found  only  in  the  glass 
cases  of  ethnographical  collections.  Then,  too,  in  a  short 
time  nearly  all  the  reindeer  will  be  destroyed.  For  such 
natural  hunters  as  the  Eskimos  the  pleasure  and  excite 


il 


liPfv 


m 


if 


*!,' 


t". 


)       ''»■ 

■'   pj; 

:    1. 

^■. 

^«: 

. 

1     !;*'• 

!  '   '" 

392 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


nieiit  of  the  cliase  are  too  great  to  he  restrained  hy  any 
considerations  of  future  good.  As  long  as  tiiere  arc 
reindeer  to  he  had,  the  natives  will  kill  them  without  any 
regard  to  their  recjuirements  for  food  or  clothing.  These 
])e()|)le  are  children  of  the  present,  who  later  on  will  have 
to  pay  dearly  for  tlie  use  they  are  making  of  some  of  the 
destructive  powers  which  they  have  obtained  from  their 
civilized  visitors. 

How  the  reindeer  is  killed  with  firearms  need  not  be 
explained,  but  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  a  skilful 
and  patient  lumter  can  ajjproach  near  enough  to  shoot  it 
with  a  bow  and  arrow  or  even  to  kill  it  by  throwing  a 
stone. 

Hares  were  formerly  caught  in  large  numbers  in  North 
Greenland  by  snaring,  but  now  they  are  shot  with  rifles. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  ptarmigan  has  never  been 
hunted  by  the  people  of  this  tribe.  As  its  meat  is  excel- 
lent food,  the  immunity  which  it  enjoys  is  probably  due  to 
some  ancient  suj^erstition. 

Of  the  sea-birds,  the  auk  is  the  only  one  that  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  domestic  economy  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  this  region.  They  are  caught  with  a  net  which  is 
attached  to  a  long  pole. 

This  hunt  is  largely  engaged  in  by  families  who  have 
pitched  their  tents  near  the  mountains  where  the  birds 
make  their  nests.  As  these  are  always  along  the  steepest 
and  most  inaccessible  parts  of  the  coast,  the  occupation  is 
both  difficult  and  dangerous,  ahd  serious  accidents  some- 
times occur. 

A  few  years  ago  a  man  of  middle  age,  and  the  father  of 
a  family,  lost  his  life  while  catching  auks  at  the  south- 
western point    of    Saunders   Island,  called    Akpan    (Auk 


HUNTIXG 


h 


393 


Island)  by  the  natives  on  account  of  the  enornioiis  nunv 
jjer  of  auks  which  arc  found  there.  In  c()ni|)aiiy  with 
Aniiii^ana  (moon),  a  half-witted  fellow,  he  had  climbed  u|) 
on  the  cliff,  more  than  2,000  feet  hiL;h,  that  extends  the 
full  leni^th  of  the  island.  When  he  had  reached  a  point 
from  which  he  could  see  a  lart^e  tlock  of  auks  directly 
below,  he  had  .AniiiLjana  lower  him  down  the  perpendic- 
ular wall  of  the  cliff,  in  order  that  he  mii;ht  reach  the 
narrow  ledge  upon  which  the  birds  make  their  nests.  In 
this  work   the  auk  hunters  use  the  same  lines  and  straps 


■j\ 


It 


t*  •  i<T- 


w 


?^ 

^ 

r«"4- 

-■■'r 

•n 

?*■ 

f't' 

\ 

<- 

i  -'m^ 

1 

^  F 


CATCHINr,    AU".S    WITH    A    NKT 


as  they  use  in  walrus  hunting.  And,  what  indicates  a 
still  less  degree  of  caution,  they  do  not  hesitate,  no  matter 
how  dangerous  the  precipice,  to  trust  their  whole  weight 
to  a  single  person  on  top  of  the  mountain.  On  this  occa- 
sion Aningana  had  only  just  commenced  to  lower  his  com- 


ill 


mr 


1 1 


»' 


I. 

i 


w 


iliii 


J!' 


I 


F 

!| 

;    ' 

1 

i^^i 


^1  ;  ?' 


1  I'l: 


t  'ii 


394 


ACROSS  A0A'77//':A'.\'  grekm.aad 


radc  when  his  strciit^tli  ujavc  out,  he  let  go  of  the  line,  and 
the  unfortunate  hunter  was  dashed  to  i)ieees  on  the  rocks 
at  the  foot  of  tlie  cliff.  The  place  was  pointed  out  to  me 
as  I  i)asse(l  on  a  sledge.  When  I  looked  up  to  the  great 
mountain  wall  I  could  hardly  believe  that  men  would  run 
such  fearful  risks  in  order  to  secure  a  few  birds  or  eggs. 

Another  time  it  happened  that  an  Iiskimo,  while  catch- 
ing auks,  had  one  of  his  legs  crushed  by  a  falling  rock. 
The  i)0()r  fellow  couUl  not  faint,  —  he  knew  nothing  of 
any  such  relief,  —  so  he  managed  as  best  he  could  to 
drag  himself  home.  There,  by  advice  of  the  wise  men  and 
women  of  the  tribe,  his  leg  was  amputated.  \\\  a  short 
time  he  was  perfectly  well  ;  and  he,  in  common  with  the 
other  members  of  the  colony,  had  a  great  deal  of  amuse- 
ment in  connection  with  his  stumpy  limb. 

When  we  consider  the  kind  of  instruments  used  by  the 
Eskimos  in  amputating  legs  and  arms,  it  is  difiRcult  to  see 
how  their  work  can  be  successful.  They  have  dirty 
knives,  and  for  bandages  use  stri|)s  of  greasy  seal-skin. 
Hut  nature  seems  to  give  the  best  of  assistance  on  such 
occasions,  and  with  but  little  help  from  man  heals  wounds 
and  broken  bones  that  with  civilized  people  would  require 
the  most  careful  and  skilful  treatment. 


ciiAPii-k  xxin 


I  I  - 


illK    NORTH    (JKKKM.AM)    DOd 


TiiK  qualities  of  harcliiiess  and  endurance  wliich  are  so 
pronounced  in  the  I*]skini()  of  North  Greenland  are  even 
more  conspicuous  in   his  faithful  d(\L?.      In  fact,  the  extent 


ijiii 


<  I 


A    lAVURITE   DOG 


to  which   this  animal  can  endure  hardship,  exposure,  and 
sufferinci  is  almost  inconceivable. 

The  North  Greenland  dogs  are  of  different  co1(m-s,  but 
the  ones  most  commonly  seen  are  gray,  spotted  white, 
and  black  haired.  Not  infrequently  there  is  a  round  light 
spot   over  each    eye.     Dogs    that    are  entirely  white  are 


'I'll 


r^ 


i\' 


396 


ACJWSS  AORTJIERN  GREENLAND 


i^-: 


H 


i"i. 


Iff 
I', 


I'- 

5«, 


also  found  in  considerable  numbers.  The  latter  can 
hardly  be  distinguished  from  the  white  Arctic  wolf  that  is 
chiefly  found  on  the  islands  north  of  the  continent  of 
yXmerica.  .As  a  rule  the  Mskimo  dog  carries  his  bushy 
tail  neatly  curled  upon  his  back,  but  there  are  some  which 
let  it  hanu:  down  like  the  wolf.  There  can  hardly  be  a 
doubt  tiiat  the  species  of  dogs  which  the  I'^skimo  now  has 
in  subjection  once  lived  in  the  northern  temperate  and 
Arctic  regions  and  was  identical  with  the  present  sjjecies 
of  wolves.  It  also  apjjcars  certain  that,  while  its  size  has 
diminished  since  it  was  domesticated,  there  has  not  been 
any  admixture  of  foreign  blood. 

The  cloi^e  physical  resemblance  to  the  wolf  which  these 
dogs,  after  a  long  period  of  domestication,  continue  to 
bear  is  doubtless  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  subsist  upon 
the  same  kind  of  food  and  have  almost  as  wild  a  life  as 
did  their  ancestors.  They  are  fed  upon  raw  meat  and 
blood,  blubber,  walrus-skin,  and  the  entrails  of  all  kinds  of 
animals  that  their  master  kills.  Water  they  have  only  in 
the  short  summer,  when  they  can  help  themselves  from 
the  streams  which  flow  from  among  the  rocks.  In  winter, 
even  after  the  most  fatiguing  work,  they  must  be  content 
to  quench  their  thirst  as  best  they  may  with  the  snow  on 
the  ground. 

The  dogs  are  not  fed  regularly  each  day,  but  on  an 
average  they  get  something  to  eat  every  other  day.  If 
for  a  time  the  colony  happens  to  have  an  abundance  of 
meat,  the  dogs  are  allowed  to  help  themselves.  But  at 
other  periods,  especially  in  winter  and  during  long  sledge 
journeys,  they  are  sometimes  obliged  to  go  without  food 
for  three  or  four  days.  They  do  not  seem  to  suffer  nearly 
as  much    from   these  irregularities  of   feeding  as  would 


^Tl 


an 
If 

of 
at 


uld 


THE  NORTH  GREENLAXD  DOG 


397 


naturally  be  exjjcclcd.  Ajjparcntly  they  arc  able  to  eat 
enoucijh  at  a  single  meal  to  last  them  for  several  days. 
With  the  exception  of  the  first  few  weeks  after  their  birth, 
they  spend  their  whole  lives  under  the  ()])en  sk\'.  M\en 
in  the  severest  cold  or  the  most  violent  storms  this  e.\j»os- 
ure  does  not  often  seem  to  aiinoy  or  injure  them. 

Not\vithstandin<>'  tlu'  wild  and  irregular  life  which  he 
leads,  the  l^skimo  doi;-  exhibits  many  of  the  traits  of  the 
more  thoroughly  domesticated  house  dog  of  warmer  cli- 
mates, lie  is  affectionate,  obedient,  and  faithful  to  his 
master.  In  return  the  T^skimo  cherishes  a  deep  love  for 
his  dogs,  th()U<'"h  he  seldom  manifests  this  feeliuLr  toward 
them  by  caresses  or  kindly 
words.  On  the  contrary. 
a  strant2:er  seeing  him  s^art 
on  a  sledge  journey  would 
get  the  impression  that  he 
used  the  whip  with  far  too 
great  a  degree  of  severity, 
though  he  would  soon 
learn  that  the  frequent  use  of  the  lash  is  just  as  necessary 
in  manauinij:  a  team  of  doizs  as  is  the  use  of  reins  and 
whip  in  driving  horses. 

When  the  dogs  ]3ull  a  sledge  they  are  fastened  to  the 
front  of  it  by  seal-skin  straps  which  diverge  from  a  com- 
mon centre  in  such  a  way  that  the  animals  can  run  side 
by  side.  Although  this  harness  is  exceedingly  simple,  it 
serves  its  purpose  remarkably  well.  Usually  the  fleetest 
of  the  dogs  has  a  little  longer  strap  than  any  of  the  others, 
in  order  that  by  running  just  ahead  of  its  companions  it 
may  encourage  them  to  greater  exertions.  The  leader  of 
the  team  seems  to  have  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
honor  and  responsibility  of  his  position. 


DDC.    llAKNr.SS 
(f,  (ipi'iiiti^  fnr  he  1(1,  /■  and  r ,  (ipLMiiiif;  for  forelegs 


i 


'■' 


.  i 


'i^ 


'!H 


! 


j: 


T 


f* 


1 


M 


i; 


rr 


l»- 


,,.{ 


U    I 


p 

u 

i 
f 

'.'f   ■ 

! 

1 

;.!■        s 
t   ■    f     i 

'^1 

:  ! 

1;  !! 


I'    til 


398 


AC/? OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


The  Eskimo  doij  Is  not  at  all  lackint^  in  intclliiicnce. 
This  fact  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  skilful  manner  in 
which  it  perpetrates  its  frequent  thefts.  These  stealings 
are  confined  to  eatables ;  but  as  this  term  includes  their 
own  harness,  their  master's  tent,  trousers,  kamiks  (boots), 
and  shirts,  the  straps  on  sledges,  and  many  other  things 
made  of  skin,  they  take  a  pretty  wide  range.  Such  thefts 
would  naturally  be  somewhat  trying  to  the  patience,  but 
the  Eskimos  regard  them  with  comj)arati\'e  indifference. 
I  have  seen  an  Eskimo  wake  up  and  find  the  hair  of  his 
reindeer  coat  all  over  the  outside  of  his  tent  and  most  of 
the  q:arment  eaten,  but  his  an<j:er  afjainst  the  dof>:  that  had 
done  the  mischief  did  not  go  any  farther  than  to  sa}', 
"  Naav  ajotupilalek  sjo  sjo  —  Sinajjadujo  —  takko !  "  or 
something  like,  "  Well,  did  you  ever  see  such  a  miserable 
fool !  "  Then  he  would  tie  the  "  miserable  fool "  to  the 
stone  from  which  it  had  broken  loose  and  say  no  more 
about  the  affair.  In  contrast  with  this  I  have  seen  two 
men  belonging  to  a  highly  civilized  race  wake  ujd  and 
find  their  fur  ploves  torn  and  half  eaten  on  the  snow  near 
their  hut.  One  chose  a  well-known  method  of  venting 
his  wrath,  and  cursed  until  his  companions  could  almost 
smell  sulphur  in  the  air.  The  other,  who  was  too  good 
to  be  profane,  caught  the  dog  that  he  considered  the 
culprit  and  beat  it  until  the  whip-handle  was  broken.  In 
the  treatment  of  anin^'als  the  men  of  enlisjhtened  nations 
would  often  be  put  to  shame  by  comparison  with  the 
kind-hearted  Eskimos. 

I  once  suggested  to  a  native  that  he  should  punish  his 
dogs  for  having  stolen,  from  right  before  her  face,  the 
last  piece  of  blubber  that  his  wife  had  in  the  hut.  I  shall 
never  forget   his  answer.     It  was  to  the  effect   that  the 


THE  NORTH  GREEXLAND   DOG 


399 


the 

In 

Itions 

the 

111  his 

I,  the 

shall 

It  the 


punishment  ought  to  fall  upon  himself,  as  he  had  not  had 
food  for  his  dogs  for  several  days.  As  the  dogs  do  not 
steal  when  they  have  enough  to  eat,  it  does  seem  hard  to 
punish  them  for  trying  to  procure  food  for  themselves 
when  no  one  offers  to  supi^ly  them. 

The  dogs  often  eat  their  reins ;  and  as  these  are  very 
tough  to  bite,  they  are  usually  swallowed  in  pieces  of 
considerable  length.  A  member  of  the  expedition  once 
discovered  one  of  the  tliirty  dogs  which  we  then  had 
engaged  in  eating  his  bridle.  Thinking  that  he  might 
save  the  small  piece  that  was  protruding  from  the  dog's 
mouth,  he  started  to  take  it  away.  Great  was  his  sur- 
prise to  obtain  a  strap  nearly  ten  feet  in  length,  which, 
although  it  had  been  chewed  a  good  deal,  was  still  fit  for 
use. 

When  many  hungry  dogs  are  together  it  is  necessary 
to  keep  a  close  watch  over  them,  even  if  they  are  well  fas- 
tened, in  order  to  avoid  being  shamefully  plundered.  If 
under  such  circumstances  you  lie  down  to  sleep,  there 
seems  to  be  a  sharp  competition,  especially  among  the 
smaller  female  dogs,  to  see  which  one  can  get  loose  first 
and  steal  the  most.  But  there  are  always  some  dogs, 
especially  among  the  males,  that  never  will  condescend  to 
attempt  to  get  loose,  but  which  become  extremely  indig- 
nant when  they  see  their  less  honest  comrades  appropnate 
the  master's  property.  They  howl  and  growl  uninterrujjt- 
edly  in  a  singularly  short  and  noisy  way  that  can  never  be 
mistaken  after  it  has  once  been  heard. 

In  addition  to  the  noise  made  by  the  dogs  that  remain 
tied,  there  is  not  infrequently  a  deafening  racket  in  conse- 
quence of  violent  fights  among  the  thieves  when  one  or 
another  feels  that  he  has  not  been  allowed  a  fair  oppor- 


if   , 


h- 


i*  I 


'i1i 


w 


If  - 1 


li 


if: 

1 1 

if 


400 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


tunity  to  obtain  his  share  of  the  pUmder.  This  betrays 
their  wrong-doing;  and  if  the  sleepy  owner  will  get  up  and 
attend  to  them  at  once,  he  may  prevent  any  very  serious 
damage.  But  if  the  dogs  are  allowed  to  continue  their 
depredations  they  will  not  be  satisfied  with  trifles.  And 
they  seem  able  to  surmount  nearly  all  obstacles.  The 
stones  of  the  meat  stores  they  u})set  with  their  noses  ; 
they  open  boxes  that  have  been  well  nailed  by  attacking 
the  weaker  places  with  their  teeth  ;  steel  wires  they  tear 
to  pieces  ;  ropes  they  gnaw ;  and  to  almost  every  kind  of 
package  or  material  they  are  as  destructive  as  is  many 
a  human  robber.  They  only  hesitate  when  they  come  to 
a  barrel  of  hard-tack.  Although  they  devour  boot-soles 
and  the  entrails  of  all  kinds  of  animals  with  great  relish, 
they  do  not  stoop  so  low  as  to  attempt  to  eat  one  of  the 
hard  and  dry  things  that  are  called  shipsbrcad  and  are 
eaten  by  men. 

In  the  civilized  world  the  prolonged  howling  of  a  dog 
in  what  should  be  the  still  hours  of  the  ni<>'ht  is  reorarded 
as  a  certain  indication  that  he  is  troubled  or  distressed. 
In  North  Greenland  the  case  is  altoiiether  different.  At 
our  last  vi'inter  quarters,  where  we  often  had  about  one 
hundred  dogs  at  a  time,  we  had  the  plainest  proof  that 
their  howls  in  the  night  were  caused  by  joy,  and  that  in 
purpose,  at  least,  they  took  the  place  of  song  in  human 
beings.  They  particularly  excelled  as  chorus  singers;  and 
when  the)  were  unusually  happy,  as  when  they  had  fin- 
ished an  excellent  meal  or  had  enjoyed  a  good  night's 
rest,  they  always  treated  us  to  a  concert. 

To  make  the  whole  chorus  take  part  in  the  concert  it 
was  only  necessary  that  a  single  one  of  the  number  sing  a 
long   "O — au  —  o  —  au — o  —  au  —  o  —  au!"       But   it 


:■;!: 


o 

o 
o 

o 
"n 

o 

a 

M 
5! 

O 
W 
W 
K 
2! 

r 

> 

o 


:ert  it 


ill 


Ising  a 
lut    it 


26 


Jiiffl 


lilt         ! 


*| 


!f   4 


pi' 


c 


I  ••■i 


'I!- 


1^  i 


i!lf ,  i 


-  i  ii 


402 


ACA'OSS   AVA'  'rill'.RN  C, R EEXLAXD 


was  imperative  that  this  be  done  l)y  one  of  the  older  and 
more  dignified  members  of  the  party.  If  one  of  the 
younger  and  less  prominent  ones  attempted  to  start  the 
performance,  it  was  generally  an  utter  failure.  I  le  emitted 
a  few  faint  howls,  but  the  others  did  not  respond,  and  with 
a  very  foolish  look  upon  his  face  he  ceased  his  efforts  to 
provide  a  musical  entertainment. 

To  hear  a  chorus  of  a  half  hundred  dogs  with  well- 
trained  voices  makes  a  powerful  impression  even  upon 
j)eople  who  have  no  ear  for  music.  But  to  persons  of 
musical  ability  and  cultivated  taste  the  performance  seems 
so  ridiculous  that  they  can  hardly  refrain  from  laughing 
in  the  solemn  face  of  the  leader.  The  entertainment  is 
certainly  a  fine  as  well  as  an  original  "  opera  comique." 

It  is  quite  amusing  to  see  the  Eskimo  feed  his  dogs. 
He  cuts  the  meat  in  {)ieces  as  large  as  his  fist,  piles  them 
on  a  board,  stands  directly  in  front  of  the  place  where  the 
animals  are  tied,  and  when  they  have  all  become  quiet, 
with  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  meat,  he  can  begin  the 
feeding.  This  is  the  only  way  in  which  he  is  able  to  con- 
trol them  so  that  the  weaker  as  well  as  the  stronger  ones 
can  get  their  share.  Piece  after  piece  of  the  meat  is 
thrown  by  the  master  and  dexterously  caught  by  the  dogs 
until  all  is  gone.  If  all  the  dogs  in  the  team  are  old 
acquaintances,  and  in  the  habit  of  being  fed  together,  the 
feeding-time  is  likely  to  pass  without  disturbance ;  but  if 
there  are  any  strangers  among  them  the  whole  meal  may 
be  a  violent  and  continuous  conflict. 

The  Eskimo  dog  is  naturally  very  much  inclined  to 
fight.  Good  friends  actually  fight  for  pleasure.  They 
sportively  snap  a  few  tufts  of  hair  froni  each  other's  skin, 
howl  and  bark  for  a  while,  and  the  whole  thing  is  over. 


THE   NOKTir  GRERNLAXD   DOG 


403 


Hut  it  is  very  different  when  strange  clog  teams  are  care- 
lessly allowed  to  come  within  reach  of  each  other.  Then 
the  fur  will  not  only  fly,  but  the  snow  between  the  fighters 
will  soon  be  crimson  with  their  blood. 

Another  characteristic  of  this  race  of  animals  is  that 
each  team  of  dogs  has  its  own  king.  I  le  may  not  be  the 
strongest,  but  he  is  the  most  fearless  and  skilful  fighter 
among  them,  and  not  one  of  them  dares  to  oppose  his 
tyrannical  rule.  When  two  strange  lots  of  these  dogs  are 
thrown  together  a  very  important  fight  will  immediately 
be  commenced  by  the  kings  of  the  two  teams.  At  the 
same  time  there  will  be  a  general  battle  between  the 
other  dogs  of  the  teams  to  settle  their  relative  rank  for 
the  future.  When  these  fiirhts  have  been  finished,  and 
not  till  then,  the  equilibrium  of  the  little  society  is  fully 
established.  But  the  vanquished  king  is  utterly  broken 
in  spirit.  Mis  tail,  formerly  carried  proudly  curled  on  his 
back,  now  hangs  limp  and  drooping,  and  the  head  that 
was  so  erect  is  now  held  down,  while  the  half-closed  eyes 
follow  every  movement  of  the  victor,  who  pompously 
stalks  around  his  subjects,  and  seems  almost  bursting 
with  pride. 

There  is  a  peculiar  epidemic  disease  that  every  year 
destroys  a  large  number  of  these  dogs,  and  which  the 
natives  say  has  sometimes  been  so  severe  as  to  threaten 
the  extinction  of  the  breed.  When  attacked  by  this  dis- 
ease the  dog  loses  its  appetite,  becomes  cross,  sometimes 
will  even  bite  its  own  master,  and  at  length  develops  all 
the  symptoms  of  madness  in  its  advanced  stage.  No  one 
certainly  knows  the  cause  of  the  disease,  but  as  it  occurs 
only  in  the  severest  weather  and  during  the  long  night  of 
the  year,  it   is  probable   that  cold  and   darkness  are   the 


i  I 


iliv 


\\ 


I:  s 


pi 


ji 


\A    A 


'[  T^  I 


404 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


■  f 


p. 

I . 


;i, 


m 


;i   I 


«|i   1 

gt!f  ■  r  ' 

W     . 

u 

m  ■ 

4 

>6: 

i  an 

1 

111)  1 

i<  ?^              .>> 

1-    '^>JU             '           '  fl' 

-  f  ■; 

principal  factors  in  its  production.  The  foxes  also  in  this 
region  are  said  to  be  subject  to  this  disease. 

It  was  only  natural  that  the  appearance  of  the  disease, 
of  which  there  were  several  cases  among  the  dogs  at  Red- 
cHffe  House,  caused  the  members  of  the  expedition  a 
great  deal  of  anxiety.  Its  close  resemblance  to  hydro- 
phobia was  a  sufficient  cause  for  alarm ;  but  we  were 
greatly  relieved  to  find,  and  to  have  our  observations  con- 
firmed by  the  natives,  that  the  bite  of  an  affected  animal 
was  not  danircrous  to  man. 

As  the  success  of  future  polar  expeditions  may  very 
largely  depend  upon  the  use  of  Eskimo  dogs,  it  seems  to 
be  of  great  importance  to  prevent  an  outbreak  of  this  dis- 
ease. I  am  convinced  that  this  can  be  done  by  having 
electric  lights  in  winter,  furnishing  the  dogs  a  moderate 
degree  of  protection  during  storms  and  periods  of  severe 
cold,  serving  their  meat  warm  instead  of  frozen,  and  sup- 
plying them  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  to  drink. 

In  North  Greenland  the  docfs  often  mate  for  life.  If 
young  are  expected  in  the  cold  season,  a  bed  is  prepared 
on  one  of  the  side  benches  in  the  hut,  near  the  lamps, 
and  here  the  mother  remains  with  her  pups  until  the 
winter  is  over,  though  to  quench  her  thirst  she  is  often 
obliged  to  go  out  in  the  cold  and  darkness  to  lick  the 
snow.  Hardly  anywhere  are  pups  more  kindly  treated  or 
more  dearly  loved  than  they  are  in  the  hut  of  the  poor 
Eskimo.  The  father  of  the  household  plays  with  them 
and  names  them,  the  mother  sews  nice  white  collars  of 
bear-skin  for  all  the  dark-haired  ones,  while  the  children 
caress  and  pet  them  all  day  long. 

In  the  spring  the  pups  may  be  large  enough  for  the 
owner   to  commence    their   training.     Some  fine  day  he 


the 
he 


THE  NORTH  GREENLAND  DOG 


405 


furnishes  each  with  a  small  harness  and,  with  some  of  the 
older  animals,  takes  one  or  two  at  a  time  for  a  short 
drive.  It  does  not  require  much  time  for  them  to  become 
familiar  with  the  meaning  of  the  whip  ar.d  of  the  differ- 
ent calls,  and  when  this  stage  is  reached  tluir  education 
is  completed. 


I»-^^ 


A   C.ROUI'    UK    HUPS 


11]:. 


W' 


ESKIMO    lloY 


31;  ^:' 


t  • 


!( 


I 


1:1  i 


m 


!l 


I 


lii   t  ! 


CIIAPTIvR    XXIV 

IIOMK    I.IIK,    llAlilTS    AM)    CIIARACTKR 

To  civilized  jjcoplc  tlic  domestic  life  of  the  I'^skimos,  or 
Innuits,  by  both  of  which  terms  the  natives  at  Smith 
Sound  are  designated,  seems  very  i)eculiar. 

The  winters  are  spent  in  low,  small  huts.  These  are 
built  of  stones  and  moss,  and  are  always  near  the  ocean. 
The  usual  size  of  a  hut  is  about  thirteen  feet  in  length 
and  breadth.  The  roof  is  so  low  that  a  man  of  ordinary 
size  cannot  stand  erect  under  it.  Sometimes  huts  are 
built  so  close  to  each  other  that  they  are  converted  into 
one  by  simply  cutting  through  the  separating  wall. 

The  inside  of  a  hut  is  reached  through  a  lon<j:  and  nar- 
row  entry,  also  built  of  stone,  which  is  so  low  that  one  is 
obliged  to  creep  when  he  goes  in  or  out.  A  small  square 
opening  in  the  end  wall  leads  up  to  the  living-room.  Di- 
rectly over  the  entry  is  a  square  window,  closed  with  a 
skin,  and  often  almost  covered  with  snow.  In  its  centre 
there  is  an  opening  a  few  inches  in  diameter,  through 
which    the    hot    and  almost    suffocating   air   of    the   hut 


HOME   J.JFK,    HA  HITS  AXD   CIIAKACTEN 


407 


escapes  as  a  ray  of  steam,  and  uliiili  also  serves  as  a 
peep-hole  when  the  inmates  hear  noises  outside. 

The  family  sleep  in  the  L.ck  part  of  the  hut  on  a 
platform,  about  twenty  inches  high,  which  is  made  of 
stones  and  covered  with  bear  or  reindeer  skins.  Benclu-s 
of  the  same  height  are  also  built  along  the  sides  of  the 
hut.  Upon  one  of  these  stands  a  bowl-shaped  lamp  of 
stone.  Directly  over  it  is  an  oblong  cooking-vessel,  made 
of  the  same  material,  which  is  hung  by  strings  from  \\\v 
roof. 

The  flame  of  tlie  lamp  is  sustained  by  blubber  and  fme 


l; 

lllil 

M 

1 

II 

i 

..I*- 


^♦^ 


oJK'^*^'- 


A.N    LbKl.MO    llUUSi.    I.N    Wl.NlLK 


peat,  and  serves  to  both  light  and  warm  the  small  room. 
If  the  light  goes  out  another  is  started  by  means  of 
sparks  from  flint  or  ironstone. 

In  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  their  winter  huts 
the  natives  build  stone  chambers,  about  half  in  and  half 
above   the   ground.     Here    the    house-mother  kec})s  her 


ii 


« 


i 


I 


408 


ytCA'OSS   X()A'77//':A'.\    CA'I.I'.M.AM) 


\ 


(I 


stores  of  skins  and  other  valiuihlc  m.itcriiils,  and  the 
hunter  phiccs  his  winter  furs.  The  stores  of  meat  are  a 
httle  farther  from  the  hut  and  are  covered  with  a  )>Ile  of 
stones. 

in  the  sprinjjj,  wlien  the  days  len^tlien  and  the  rays  of 
the  sun  he<^"in  to  spread  a  liltk-  warmtli  over  the  landscape, 
tlie  ICskinio  leaves  Iiis  close  and  dark  winter  abode,  packs 
the  seal-skin  tent  of  the  family  on  his  sleth^e,  and  ujoes  to 
some  i)lace  not  far  distant  that  is  free  from  snow  and 
appears  to  he  a  desirable  location  for  a  summer  residence. 
Here  he  pitches  the  tent,  and  the  whole  family  enjoy  the 
freer  life  of  the  new  home. 

As  a  rule,  before  leaving;  their  winter  huts  the  Ivskimos 
remove  the  roofs  so  that  tlv  inti'iiois  may  be  th()roUL;hly 
ventilated.  They  li\e  in  tt'uts  from  the  end  of  ApM'il  till 
Sei^tember.  Then  they  return  to  huts;  but  as  they  are 
fond  of  chanL;e,  they  sometimes  select  a  different  |)lace 
from  the  one  in  which  the  last  winter  was  jxissed. 

The  mother  of  the  household  attends  to  the  lam|)  both 
in  the  hut  and  the  tent.  She  is  careful  to  renew  the 
blubber  beside  it  when  the  sup|)ly  already  there  is  melted, 
and  to  so  adjust  the  flame  that  there  will  be  as  little 
smoke  as  possible.  She  also  melts  the  snow  that  is  used 
for  various  purposes,  and  does  the  cooking  for  the  family. 

That  the  domestic  utensils  arc  not  kept  in  a  condition 
that  would  be  considered  decent  by  civilized  people  is 
not  surprising  when  we  remember  that  the  Eskimos 
really  have  no  sense  of  cleanliness.  The  large  stone  pot, 
the  flat  dishes,  the  drinking-cujjs,  and  the  boards  upon 
which  the  food  is  kept  are  covered  with  a  thick  layer  of 
dirt,  grease,  and  dried  blood,  the  odor  of  which  w'ill,  until 
he  has  become  accustomed  to  it,  deprive  a  white  man  of 


f  I 


HOME   l/J'/:,    /f.l/U'JS  ,l.\7)   (7/.  I  A'.  I  ('77:  A' 


409 


both 

the 
Ued, 
ittlc 
used 
inily. 
tion 
e  is 
nios 
l)()t, 


his  aj)i)(.'thi'.  Hut  al'tt-r  a  long  day's  walk  over  the  rough 
snow-fields,  in  a  low  temperature,  when  the  nuiseles  are 
weary,  and  the  whole  system  cries  out  for  food  and  water, 
the  most  dainty  son  (»f  civilization  will  he  glad  to  tal  of 
the  ])lain  and  jxxirly  i)re|)ared  food  and  drinl<  Irctni  the 
greasy  cui)s  of  the  iiosj)ital)le  Eskimos. 

'I'he    dishes   which    the    I'iskimo    housewife  offers    hei' 


STONK    IIUrSOR    IC.I.OOS —  TAKKN    M'    MIDNKIHT 

family  and  her  guests  at  the  different  seasons  of  the  )•  r 
are  neither  numerous  nor  complicated.  Meat  of  waln-s, 
seal,  narwhal,  bear,  reindeer,  hares,  and  auks,  with  differ- 
ent kinds  of  blood,  forms  the  foundation  of  all  her  cook- 
ing. Spices,  salt,  or  other  condiments  are  entirely  un- 
known.    Considerable   blubber  is  eaten,  but   the    larger 


'I 


pi 


(1 

'1  ■ 

if 

'if                 i 
f 

J. 

! 

I'» 


M 


I  ■, 


i-.i 


410 


ACROSS  NORTHf'.RN  GRERXLAND 


part  of  it  is  used  for  furnisliing  light  and  heat.  As  a 
rule,  the  meat  is  cooked,  lout  it  is  sometimes  eaten  raw, 
especially  when  it  is  frozen.  When  it  has  been  ke})t  long 
enough  to  reach  a  condition  in  which  most  civilized 
peojole  would  consider  it  spoiled,  it  is  esteemed  a  great 
delicacy.  The  li\'er  of  several  animals  and  certain  en- 
trails of  the  seal  are  prized  for  food,  as  is  also  the  material 
found  in  the  stomach  of  the  reindeer.  The  latter  consists 
of  \egetable  matter,  but  it  is  so  rarely  obtained  that  it  can 
almost  be  said  that  meat  is  the  exclusive  article  of  diet  of 
the  North  Greenland  l^skimos. 

Dog  meat  is  sometimes  eaten,  but  only  under  excep- 
tional circumstances.  Nothing  short  of  the  greatest  ne- 
cessity  will  induce  a  native  to  kill  one  of  his  dogs.  Be- 
sides, the  dogs  are  generally  very  lean  and  their  meat  is 
not  palatable.  The  peojole  consi.lcr  the  flesh  of  pups  a 
good  article  of  food,  and  I  think  they  are  capable  judges 
in  this  matter.  Once  when  I  was  at  the  Cape  York 
colon)',  and  nearly  starved,  I  was  jrivcn  some  frozen  raw 
meat  of  a  })up  that  tasted  verv  well.  It  somewhat  resem- 
bled the  meat  of  a  bear.  This  mi')'U  not  be  the  eeneral 
opinion  of  the  quality  of  this  kind  of  food,  but  it  is  stated 
merely  as  my  personal  impression. 

The  natives  at  Smith  Sound  use  nothing  but  water  for 
drinking  purposes.  When  we  first  offered  them  tea  and 
coffee  many  of  tlicm  refused,  but  after  a  time  they  began 
to  like  these  drinks.  They  also  soon  learned  to  like  hard- 
tack, which,  considering  the  fact  that  they  are,  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word,"  a  breadless  joeojole,'"  is  not  very  surpris- 
ing. Of  spirits  and  tobacco  they  were  entirely  ignorant, 
and  we  were  careful  not  to  enlighten  them.  It  is  remark- 
able  tliat  they  do  not   use,  or  even  know  of  any  kind  of 


II 


HOxME   L/FE,    HABITS  AND    CHARACTER         411 

stimulant.  In  this  respect  they  are  yet  in  the  original 
"  state  of  innocence  "  which  no  other  people  in  ;  j  world 
appear  to  have  preserved. 

The  meals  are  eaten  in  a  very  plain  and  easy  manner. 


Hi 


■^f^^P^ 


'iP 


!r 


GATE   YORK,    SMITH    SOUND  —  ESKIMO  SLEDS    ON    TIIK    ICE 


for 
and 


The  housewife  places  the  pieces  of  boiled  meat  in  a  vessel, 
from  wliich  the  members  of  the  family,  all  of  whom  are 
very  scantily  clothed,  take  them  with  their  hands  when 
they  want  them.  In  eating,  a  large  piece  of  meat  is  taken 
to  the  mouth  with  the  left  hand  and  cut  off  close  to  the 
lips  with  a  sharp  knife  that  is  held  in  the  right  hand. 

As  with  civilized  people,  marriages  among  the  natives 
of  this  region  are  contracted  for  life.  As  a  rule  the  rela- 
tion of  husband  and  wife  continues  as  long  as  they  both 


n..f 


4" 


I 


ACJiOSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


live,  though  separations  sometimes  occur.  A  few  years 
ago  Agna  left  her  husband,  Kaochu,  saying  that  he  was 
too  old,  and  went  to  live  with  Kala,  a  middle-aged  wid- 
ower. In  excuse  for  this  fault  of  the  in  man  -  .aspects 
estimable  woman,  it  can  only  be  said  that  altiioigh  her 
husband  was  not  so  very  old,  he  really  did  present  a 
superannuated  appearance.  His  walk  was  unsteady,  one 
leg  was  crooked  from  rheumatism,  his  face  was  full  of 
dirty  wrinkles,  his  nose  and  cheeks  had  taken  on  a  bluish 
tint  from  exposure  to  wind  and  weather,  his  eyes  were 
edged  with  a  red  bor  'er,  and  his  hair  —  his  hair  —  well, 
let  us  not  attempt  to  carry  the  description  any  farther. 
And  yet  this  little  lame  man  is  full  of  fun,  and  gives  his 
neighbors  the  pleasure  of  many  a  laugh.  His  friends, 
and  a  daughter  who  keeps  house  for  him,  see  that  he  does 
not  suffer  from  want. 

Polygamy  does  not  exist  among  these  people,  possibly 
because  the  conditions  are  unfavorable,  but  husbands  and 
wives  are  not  always  faithful  to  each  other,  and  a  want  of 
fidelity  in  this  respect  is  not  regarded  as  at  all  a  serious 
matter.     The  unmarried  young  people  are  strictly  chaste. 

The  position  of  the  married  woman  is  as  dignified  and 
respected  as  is  that  of  the  man,  though  in  any  important 
disagreement  she  is  obliged  to  submit  to  the  will  of  her 
husband 

The  relations  between  parents  and  children  are  as 
close  and  as  affectionate  as  they  are  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  When  small,  the  children  are  rather  nice  looking, 
but  as  they  grow  up  their  features  become  much  coarser 
and  have  a  less  attractive  appearance.  At  birth  their 
parents  give  them  names,  usually  only  one,  but  some- 
times two,  for  each  child.     These  names  are  commonly 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CHARACTER 


4'3 


the  terms  used  to  designate  animals  or  other  familiar  ob- 
jects. The  children  arc  rarely  punished,  and  as  they  are 
thoroughly  good-natured  punishment  is  seldom  needed. 
The  youngsters  often  aj^pear  very  sweet  and  cunning,  as, 
for  instance,  when  playing  in  the  open  air  a  game  cor- 
responding to  the  "tag"  of   civilized  lands,  or  when  cons<^- 


Ifili 


pi 

m 

H 
ft 
j' 
■I 


y.^f^'i^i-'Ji-C-^' 


^■^-.i.vwsf^^V: 


INTKRIOR    OV    HUT 


ing  on  the  little  sleighs  which  their  kind  fathers  have 
made  for  them.  Except  in  the  mildest  way  they  ne\er 
quarrel  or  fight,  and  they  never  call  each  other  names  or 
use  abusive  language  in  any  way.  In  short,  they  are  a 
lot  of  dirty  angels. 

Marriages  take  place  at  a  very  early  age.  The  man 
washes  to  marry  as  soon  as  he  thinks  he  can  support  a 
wife,  usually  when  from  sixteen  to  twenty  years  old,  and 
the  girls  are  considered  marriageable  when  they  reach 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  Love  seems  to  be  the  foun- 
dation for  all  marriages.  Even  if  it  were  preferred,  mar- 
rying for  money  or  other  worldly  goods  would  not  be 
possible.     The   engagement  lasts  quite  a  long  time,  but 


nra 


n 


W 


iff 


i 


414 


JCA'OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


»■  f 


ti: 


I? 


I'l 


there  are  no  ceremonies  whatever  connected  with  the 
weddint;.  The  number  of  children  in  a  family  is  usually 
three  or  four.  Sometimes,  but  not  often,  it  reaches  five  or 
even  six. 

When  a  visiting-  l^skimo  arrives  from  some  distant 
colony  he  does  not  say  "(iood  day"  or  "  How  do  you 
do,"  and  the  men  and  women  upon  whom  he  is  calling  do 
not  welcome  him  with  words.  A  bashful  smile  is  all  that 
he  offei-s,  and  the  same  o;reetin2;  is  returned.  Soon  one 
of  the  older  Eskimos,  in  a  low  voice,  makes  some  remark 
or  asks  some  question,  and  thus  a  conversation  will  be 
slowly  started.  When  the  visitor  is  leaving,  he  does  not 
say  "  Ciood-by,"  but  harnesses  his  dogs  to  the  sledge 
and  goes  away  without  saying  a  word  about  it.  In  their 
whole  behavior  these  people  show  a  most  absolute  inde- 
pendence which  will  astonish  any  civilized  person  who 
comes  in  contact  with  them. 

Before  starting  on  a  long  journey  the  natives  drink  as 
much  ^  ater  as  possible.  This  is  done  as  a  jjrecaution 
against  thirst,  which  in  a  fatiguing  journey  in  the  ex- 
tremely dry  Arctic  air  is  a  fearful  torture. 

During  the  winter  night,  which  lasts  nearly  four 
months,  there  is  never  a  lack  of  sociability.  This  tends 
to  make  the  time  pass  more  quickly  for  the  people  than 
it  otherwise  would  do.  The  younger  families,  especially, 
travel  around  a  great  deal,  visiting  their  parents,  aunts, 
uncles,  and  other  relatives  and  friends.  In  many  cases 
they  s))end  more  time  in  this  way  than  they  do  at  home. 
Even  if  for  a  short  time  they  are  at  home,  they  have 
usually  made  a  previous  arrangement  to  entertain  some 
guests. 

In  December  and  Januarv  the   darkness  is  so  intense 


w 


HO  Ml']  rjFK,  FfAnrrs  and  character 


4«S 


that  travelling  can  be  done  only  by  moonlight.  When 
the  moon  appears,  once  in  four  weeks,  it  remains  con- 
stantly visible  for  about  a  week,  and  gives  a  si)lendid 
liiiht  for  the  travel-lovinir  Innuits. 

There  is  haj)])iness  shining  on  the  broad  faces  of  the 
natives  when  in  the  month  of  T'ebruary  the  sun,  after 
the  depressing  darkness  of  the  winter,  begins  to  give  to 
the  clouds  nearest  the  horizon  a  golden  colorinij.  And 
when  the  sun  itself  for  the  first  time  comes  into  view  the 
joy  is  unbounded.  Old  and  young,  men,  women,  and 
children,  gather  on  the  rocks  behind  the  huts  of  the 
colony,  where  the  view  is  unobstructed,  and  with  joyful 
shouts  greet  the  returning  king  of  day. 

The  Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound  have  no  defmite  method 
of  computing  time  or  of  stating  the  exact  date  at  which 
any  given  event  occurred.  If  they  want  to  indicate  a  cer- 
tain hour  of  the  day,  they  state  the  position  of  the  sun 
or  the  stars  in  the  sky  at  this  time.  They  have  names 
for  our  four  seasons  and  terms  to  designate  the  to  them 
important  periods  of  the  year,  a,i  "  the  days  that  we  move 
into  tents,"  "the  days  when  the  sun  leaves  us,"  and  various 
other  times  and  events. 

It  would  naturally  be  expected  that  a  people  situated 
like  the  Eskimos,  compelled  to  fight  a  hard  battle  for  a 
mere  existence,  and  who  are  in  almost  constant  danger  of 
finding  their  food  supplies  exhausted,  and  with  no  certain 
means  of  replenishing  them,  woidd  be  very  serious  and 
unhappy.  We  would  suppose  that  they  would  regard  life 
as  an  evil  which  for  some  reason  had  been  forced  upon 
them,  and  from  which  death  would  bring  them  a  welcome 
relief.  But  with  regard  to  the  Eskimos  such  an  opinion 
would  be  wholly  incorrect.     To  one  who  lives  with  them 


^-  .'\. 


\\ 


m 


Tf 


I     ! 


I" 


i  4i 


■m 


ti: 


,'  I'l 


'ij 


I   I 


Vt 


416 


AC  A' OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


until  he  is  well  acquainted  with  their  ways  and  under- 
stands their  language,  their  joyful  laughter,  their  amusing 
witticisms,  their  frequent  jokes,  and,  in  fact,  their  whole 
conduct,  will  indicate  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that 
these  people  are  unusually  well  satisfied  with  their  lot  in 
life. 

UiM)n  looking  more  closely  at  the  matter,  this  satis- 
faction with  what  seem  to  be  very  hard  conditions  of 
existence  will  not  be  as  difficult  to  explain  as  it  at  first 
glance  appears.  In  the  first  ])lace  they  enjoy  excellent 
health.  As  they  advance  in  years  they  suffer  somewhat 
from  rheumatism,  but  they  seldom  have  any  other  severe 
illness.  Snow-blindness,  a  slight  inflammation  of  the  eyes 
caused  by  the  bright  reflection  of  the  sun  on  the  snow, 
frequently  attacks  the  men  in  the  spring,  but  it  does  not 
often  prove  serious  in  its  results.  Another  and  a  very 
important  reason  for  their  contentment  is  found  iii  the 
fact  that  this  small  Eskimo  society  is  founded  upon  the 
principle  of  equal  rights  and  j^rivileges  for  all  of  its  mem- 
bers. Money  is  entirely  unknown.  Love  to  one's  neigh- 
bor is  a  fundamental  law.  A  society  in  which  liberty, 
equality,  and  fraternity  are  not,  as  in  many  civilized  lands, 
merely  a  distant  and  an  almost  hopeless  ideal,  but  are  the 
actual  rule  of  life  and  conduct,  can  hardly  fail  to  secure  a 
large  share  of  happiness  and  contentment. 

If  one  of  the  hunters  is  more  skilful  or  has  better  suc- 
cess than  his  companions,  so  that  during  the  summer  he 
obtains  a  larger  quantity  of  meat  than  will  be  needed  by 
himself  and  his  family  in  the  winter  he  does  not  conceal 
the  surplus,  or  attempt  to  withhold  it  from  the  others. 
On  the  contrary,  with  pleasure  and  pride  he  will  distribute 
it  among  those  whose  eyes  are  not  as  keen  or  whose  arms 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CHARACTER  417 


are  not  as  strong  as  his  own,  or  who  were  not  as  fortunate 
in  finding  good  hunting-grounds. 

If  the  question  were  raised  whether  the  expert  liunters, 
who  secure  an  adequate  quantity  of  provisions  for  the 
winter  in  a  comparatively  brief  time,  will  not  be  more 
inclined  to  spend  a  part  of  the  summer  in  idleness  than  to 
continue  the  hunt  in  the  interest  of  others,  the  answer 
would  be  that  as  long  as  the  ambition  of  these  men  con- 
tinues as  great  as  it  is  at  present,  there  is  no  danger  of 
their  relaxing  their  efforts,  even  if  their  natural  kindness 
of  heart  is  not  taken  into  the  account. 

It  is  a  rule  among  this  people  that  any  game  which  a 
hunter  does  not  take  home,  but  leaves  at  some  convenient 
point,  covered  with  stones  for  possible  future  use,  can  be 
taken  by  others,  if  needed,  with  perfect  right,  and  without 
asking  permission  of  any  one.  It  often  hajjpens  that 
meat  stored  in  this  way  by  one  man  is  used  by  others. 
In  fact,  the  tribe  forms  a  single  family,  and  each  member, 
without  exception,  consecrates  the  work  of  his  life  to  the 
common  good.  They  have  the  joys  of  life,  as  well  as  the 
hardships  and  sufferings,  in  common.  It  is  seldom  that 
this  tribe  are  visited  by  a  real  famine ;  and  though  some 
authors  have  represented  them  as  improvident,  my  obser- 
vation convinced  me  that  they  endeavor  to  enter  the  win- 
ter with  a  full  stock  of  provisions,  and  that  they  usually 
succeed  in  obtaining  a  liberal  supply. 

The  members  of  this  tribe  manifest  a  strong  affeclion 
for  each  other.  This,  perhaps,  is  not  remarkable  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  company  is  comparatively  small, 
and  having  for  a  long  period  been  isolated  from  all  other 
tribes,  the  members  are  related  to  each  other  by  blood  as 
well  as  by  the  common  ties  of  humanity.  As  an  instance 
27 


ill 


\ 


irt 


\\\ 


.  I 


nw 


418 


AC/? OSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


« 


A  '  ^' 


m 


l:lll< 


IT 


W\ 


%  % 


•  n 

ill 


;  (11 

of  the  general  concern  for  the  welfare  of  the  individual  I 
well  remember  how  anxious  the  members  of  the  colony 
appeared  at  a  time  when  one  of  the  younger  hunters 
remained  away  a  day  longer  than  was  his  usual  custom. 

It  is  extremely  seldom  that  Eskimos  quarrel,  and  when 
a  disagreement  occurs  it  is  a  very  tame  affair.  The  par- 
ties do  not  talk  loudly  or  call  each  other  names,  but  sim- 
ply separate.  They  are  a  quiet  and  gentle  people,  and 
very  much  dislike  anything  in  the  way  of  disturbance  or 
discord. 

Judging  from  the  bc^t  information  we  could  obtain,  it 
seems  probable  that  the  natural  period  of  life  is  about 
sixty  years.  The  debility  incident  to  old  age  is  then  fully 
developed,  a..d  in  many  cases  is  accompanied  by  an  in- 
flammation of  the  lungs  which  soon  proves  fatal. 

The  communistic  form  of  their  society  renders  stealing 
from  each  other  impossible.  And  it  must  be  said  of  them 
that  they  are  really  an  honest  people.  When  we  first 
went  among  them  they  would  often  take  articles  from 
the  members  of  the  expedition  ;  but  as  they  had  no  know- 
ledge of  the  principle  of  private  ownership  of  property, 
they  could  not  justly  be  blamed  for  doing  so.  When 
they  learned  that  we  disapproved  of  their  course  we 
could  always  rely  upon  their  honesty.  Still,  it  was  plain 
to  see  that  they  were  intelligent  enough  to  perceive  the 
injustice  of  our  holding  them  to  a  strict  account  while  we 
were  taking  possession  of  their  land  without  their  permis- 
sion and  without  compensation,  and  killing  the  reindeer 
which  would  have  been  useful  to  them  for  food. 

The  Eskimos  rarely  told  us  an  untruth.  When  they 
did  so  it  usually  appeared  to  be  in  order  to  fool  the  white 
people  who  thought  themselves  so  wise,  rather  than  from 


HOME  LIFE,   HABITS  AND   CHARACTER         419 


ill 


:rom 


they 

white 

from 


either  mahce  or  habit.  They  seldom  or  never  lie  to  each 
other,  but  it  is  very  hard  for  them  to  tell  a  truth  that  they 
know  will  be  disagreeable,  and  they  em))loy  all  kinds  of 
subterfuges  to  avoid  such  an  unpleasant  task. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  morals  of  this  interesting  tribe 
must  be  regarded  as  approaching  the  standard  of  Chris- 
tianity. But  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  while  the  people 
of  Christian  nations  are  subjected  to  many  and  strong- 
temptations  to  violate  the  principles  of  religion,  the  Eski- 
mos live  under  much  simpler  conditions,  and  can  far  more 
easily  avoid  transgression.  For  many  of  the  evils  which 
stain  civilized  society  these  people  have  neither  motive 
nor  opportunity;  and  while  in  various  ways  they  earnestly 
endeavor  to  follow  the  right,  there  are  other  directions  in 
which  their  virtues  are  negative  rather  than  positive. 

The  good  humor  of  the  Eskimos  is  inexhaustible. 
When  a  large  company  is  gathered,  as  occurred  several 
times  at  the  house  of  the  Peary  expedition,  their  mirth  is 
unbounded.  It  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  describe 
the  "  circus  "  we  had  when  a  party  of  Eskimos  came  to  the 
house,  and  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives  saw  a  mule. 
Their  mirth  was  exuberant,  but  was  far  from  childish,  and 
many  and  witty  were  :heir  remarks  about  the  long  ears 
and  the  hairless  tail  of  the  animal  before  them. 

One  of  the  leading  wits  of  the  tribe  was  little  fat  Ekva. 
He  would  sit  for  hours  in  the  centre  of  a  little  circle  and 
keep  the  audience  laughing  at  his  talk  and  jokes.  But  he 
did  not  forget  his  family.  He  was  always  careful  to  put 
into  a  dirty  seal-skin  bag  part  of  the  hard-tack  that  was 
given  him  and  carry  it  to  his  little  two  years'  old  child 
Annedor  when  he  went  home. 

In  the  Eskimo  tribe  at  Smith  Sound  there  are  no  chiefs 


I' 


wr^^^ 


w 


H      1 


!■' 


1 

tl 

h'. 

, 

V'             1' 

1 

L*< 

!t 

if 

P'i; 

1   [ 

; 

t- '•.!{«  '.: 

ii 

[■:?';"  ' 

1  ' 

1    J»>. 

.1,    "• 

m 


S' 


:'i  !  :i 


420 


ACJiOSS  NO  h' THE  UN  GREENLAND 


or  jjcrsons  who  in  any  way  bear  rule  over  others.  Each 
member  is  his  own  master,  and  one  never  interferes  with 
the  affairs  of  another.  The  older  men  who  have  been  or 
who  still  are  remarkably  skilful  hunters  seem  to  receive  a 
good  deal  of  respect,  and  their  words  have  considerable 
influence  upon  the  other  members  of  the  colony,  but  this 
is  merely  a  matter  of  deference,  and  not  a  recognition  of 
authority.  No  greater  degree  of  liberty  can  be  found  in 
any  part  of  the  world  than  is  enjoyed  by  the  happy  people 
of  this  cold  and  desolate  land. 


4- 


;:J' 
'■•1 


i 

i 

CHAPTER   XXV 

INTELLIGEN'CL,    RELIGIOUS  IDEAS  AND  CUSTOMS 

From  the  description  already  given,  the  reader  will 
readily  admit  that  the  natives  at  Smith  Sound,  like  their 
brothers  farther  south,  are  really  an  intelligent  people. 
The  weapons  which  they  make  and  the  manner  in  which 
they  conduct  their  hunting  expeditions  show  that  they 
are  not  wanting  either  in  ingenuity  or  in  skill.  In  re- 
cent years  contact  with  the  members  of  the  Peary  expedi- 
tion has  done  much  to  develop  these  qualities  as  well  as 
to  bring  the  merits  of  the  tribe  to  the  attention  of  civil- 
ized people. 

They  greatly  surprised  us  by  the  facility  with  which 
they  learned  to  use  firearms  and  the  skill  which  they 
exhibited,  after  practising  for  only  a  few  hours,  in  hand- 
ling our  whale-boats. 

I  think  Kolotenijva  is  one  of  the  most  q-ifted  men  in: 
the  tribe.  He  is  certainly  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
eflRcient  of  the  younger  members.  He  is  about  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  with  a  powerful  frame  and  muscles  like 
steel.  His  eyes  are  small  but  bright,  and  he  can  clearly 
discern  distant  objects  that  are  invisible  to  ordinary 
people.  His  hair,  which  is  long  and  black,  is  quite  curly 
and  forms  a  fine  frame  for  his  brave-looking  face.  In 
many  ways  he  reminds  me  of  chiefs  of  whom  I  have  read 
in  Indian  tales.  No  one  in  the  whole  tribe  was  prouder 
than     Kolotengva,    no   one    more   independent,  no   one 


■ 


ai  1 


1  ,  \ 


\W 


I'  i 

if! 


42a 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


'  I  ' 


cooler  in  chinjjjcr,  slircwder  in  hunting,  or  more  faithful 
in  friLMulship.  'I'ungvingva,  his  wife,  was  a  red-checked, 
smiling  child  with  dark  eyes  and  snow-white  teeth. 

This  couple  had  a  pastime  in  which  no  other  members 
of  the  tribe  ever  engaged.  This  was  drawing.  Some- 
times they  mi  ketches  of  the  ships  of  the  Kablunak 
(white  men),  so.netimes  men  were  represented,  at  others 
animals,  huts,  tents,  or  kaiaks.  As  I  had  fortunately 
brought  a  larger  quantity  of  these  things  than  I  needed, 
I  kept  them  supplied  with  pencils  and  paper.  Many  of 
their  drawings  were  very  interesting,  and  all,  without  a 
single  exception,  showed  that  they  were  keen  observers. 

A  picture  drawn  by  Kolotengva  in  my  sketch  book 
represents  a  hunting  scene.  Two  hunters,  an  Eskimo 
with  a  bow  and  arrow  and  a  Kablunak  with  a  ride,  are  ap- 
proaching two  'ndeer  from  different  directions.  Their 
sledge  is  wait!  the  foot  of  the  mountain  upon  which 

the  hunt  is  taking  place.  The  Kablunak  is  shown  in 
a  somewhat  intoxicated  condition  and  as  being  lightly 
clad,  but  as  a  whole  the  picture  is  quite  instructive.  An- 
other picture,  drawn  from  memory  by  Tungvingva,  rep- 
resents the  steam  sealer  Kite.  It  was  one  of  her  first 
attempts  to  draw  with  a  pencil,  and  is  quite  creditable. 
Still  another  drawing  by  Tungvingva  represents  two 
white  men.  As  they  have  their  hair  cut,  instead  of  wear- 
ing it  long  like  the  natives,  she  has  simply  represented 
them  as  bald-headed,  and  has  thereby  caused  the  ears  to 
stand  out  rather  more  prominently  from  the  fine  heads 
than  their  owners  would  desire. 

Kolotengva  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  knowledge  and 
inventions  of  the  Kablunak,  and  was  glad  to  adopt  and 
recommend  to  the  tribe  any  of  our  customs  or  methods 


h 


ij 


INTELLIGENCE,    KELLGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOM..     423 

thnt  could  be  made  of  practical  use  in  the  conditions 
under  which  they  lived,  lie  was  the  first  to  provide  him- 
self with  pockets  in  his  seal-skin  coat.  He  found  them 
a  great  convenience,  and  his  example  was  soon  followed 
by  many  of  the  other  young  men. 

Kolotengva  had  a  comrade  whom  he  liked  better  than 
he  did  most  of  the  others.  This  was  Kudla.  I  do  not 
know  a  better  description  of  these  two  than  "hurragut- 
ter."  '  Wherever  anything  was  going  on  they  were  inva- 
riably to  be  found.  They  were  always  full  of  fun,  and 
were  sure  to  do  something  very  comical. 

In  July,  1.S94,  I  was  accidentally  j)resent  when  Kolo- 
tengva and  Kudla  returned  from  a  reindeer  hunt.  While 
talking  with  them  I  noticed  that  the  former's  face  and 
hands  were  so  thickly  covered  with  moscjuito  bites  as  to 
give  him  the  appean  nee  of  having  had  the  smallpox, 
while  the  latter  was  entirely  free  from  such  ma-ks.  When 
Kudla  perceived  that  I  was  going  to  speak  about  it  he 
forestalled  me  with  the  remark,  made  very  seriou^sly  and 
with  an  assumj^tion  of  superiority,  that  the  mosquitoes 
had  troubled  little  Kolotengva  very  badly  while  he  was 
asleep  at  night,  but  as  for  himself  the  insects  did  not 
dare  to  attack  him.  "  And  why  }  "  continued  Kolotengva 
immediately,  "  because  even  the  mosquitoes  refuse  the 
miserable  stuff  that  is  flowing  through  your  veins."  This 
is  only  a  specimen  of  the  satirical  fun  and  repartee  of 
which  these  young  fellows  were  masters. 

If  possible  a  still  more  pronounced  hurrah  boy  was 
Kaschu.  He  was  about  thirty  years  old  and  was  as  lively 
as  a  cricket.     His  face,  which  was  broad  and  round,  looked 

^  Hurragutter,  literally  translated  would  be  "hurrah  boys."    It  is  equivalent 
to  our  terms  "  one  of  the  boys,"  "  a  gay  boy,"  or  "  a  jolly  fellow." 


i! 


Ml 


I 


I 


I 


424 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


M    i 


as  if  it  had  been  hastily  cut  out  of  a  piece  of  timber  by  a 
wood-carver.  When  he:  was  perfectly  happy  he  laughed  so 
heartily  as  to  stretch  his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear  and  shut 
both  his  eyes.  If  for  any  reason  he  considered  himself  in 
danger  he  invariably  closed  one  eye.  His  physical  endur- 
ance was  almost  unlimited,  and  it  would  be  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  find  a  travelling  companion  more  energetic  and  at 
the  same  time  more  genial. 

Kaschu  pitched  his  tent  near  the  winter  quarters  of  the 
second  Peary  expedition,  and  remained  there  for  a  long 
time.  Every  morning,  even  after  it  had  become  very 
cold,  he  could  be  seen,  without  a  stitch  of  clothing,  walk- 
ing around  and  taking  his  weather  observation  for  the 
day.  When  the  white  men  had  any  amusements  in  pro- 
gress Kaschu  never  failed  to  be  with  us.  When  we  were 
running  on  ski,  on  the  hills  back  of  the  house,  he  accom- 
panied us,  and  in  time  he  became  quite  a  skilful  ski 
runner,  though  his  appearance  was  far  from  elegant. 
When  running  fast  he  made  the  most  frightful  faces,  and 
when  at  full  speed  he  believed  that  he  was  in  great  peril 
and  always  closed  one  of  his  eyes. 

As  I  have  commenced  giving  biographical  sketches  I 
will  add  a  few  more  of  some  of  the  typical  members  of 
the  tribe. 

Among  the  very  old  people  there  were  the  parents  of 
Kaschu,  Arodoksua  and  Migibsungua.  As  an  indication 
that  the  old  man  knows  something  of  the  laws  of  health, 
it  may  be  stated  that  since  he  ceased  hunting  he  takes 
exercise  every  forenoon  by  walking  for  a  long  distance  on 
the  ocean  ice,  pushing  his  empty  sledge  in  front  of  him. 
Recently  he  has  suffered  considerably  from  rheumatism. 
His  wife  is  quite  well,  and  her  tongue  is  active  from  early 


INTELLIGENCE,   RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,   CUSTOMS 


425 


matchless 
\ningaia, 


riy 


in  the  morning  until  late  at  night.  When  sti 
present  she  is  almost  continually  praising  hei 
son,  Raschu.  Her  other  son,  the  half-witted 
she  seldom  mentions,  but  she  represents  Kaschu  as  a 
wonderful  boy.  When  she  describes  him  as  a  fine-look- 
ing fellow,  one  who  is  familar  with  his  wooden  head,  his 
large  mouth,  and  his  half-closed  eyes  can  hardly  keep 
from  laughing. 

Among  the  most  worthy  of  the  married  couples  of 
the  tribe  should  be  named  Ingapaddu  and  Ituschaksui, 
the  parents  of  Tungvingva.  They  have  six  children,  the 
largest  number  in  one  family  within  the  memory  of  the 
oldest  member  of  the  tribe.  Ituschaksui  is  aijood  mother, 
and  looks  carefully  after  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  her 
family.  I  have  seen  her  go  out  on  the  ice  for  more  than 
a  mile  to  tell  two  of  her  younger  children,  who  were  play- 
ing there,  that  it  was  growing  cold  and  they  should  have 
some  covering  on  their  hands. 

Ituschaksui  has  two  younger  brothers,  both  of  whom 
are  married.  Their  names  are  Aseio  and  Panikpa. 
Like  their  sister,  they  are  highly  gifted,  particularly  Aseio, 
whose  pale,  narrow^  face  and  large,  thoughtful  eyes  are  the 
outward  signs  of  a  clear  intellect  and  quick  perceptions. 
He  is,  however,  not  very  strong,  and  for  this  reason  his 
wife,  Anavi,  has  often  been  obliged  to  perform  the  kinds 
of  work  that  usually  fall  to  the  men.  So  she  has  turned 
into  somewhat  of  an  Amazon.  She  can  drive  a  sledge- 
team  with  suprising  dexterity  and  ply  the  whip  with  as 
much  strength  and  persistence  as  any  ordinary  man. 

Panikpa  is  of  a  rather  retiring  and  philosophical  nature. 
He  prefers  to  have  his  tent  or  winter  hut  in  a  lonely  place 
where  people  do  not  pass  daily,  and  where  he,  with  his 


'., 


t  I  ■  I 
11' 


Mi 


iii 


IU'3 


fj 


Km 

t 

ft 

<  s' 


! 


I 
i 


426 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


wife  and  their  small  children,  can  enjoy  life  in  a  peaceful 
and  quiet  manner.  I  have  had  many  long  conversations 
with  Panikpa,  and  he  always  seized  the  opportunity  to 
make  inquiries  in  regard  to  foreign  lands.  His  faith  in 
the  Kablunak  is  very  great,  and  he  has  a  strong  desire  to 
see  their  cities,  railroads,  horses,  and  many  other  things  of 
which  he  has  learned  something  from  pictures  and  verbal 
descriptions.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  his  wish  in  this  respect 
is  ever  gratified.  But  even  now  his  horizon  is  more 
extended  than  is  that  of  many  a  peasant  in  civilized  lands, 
and  the  nature  of  his  inquiries  indicates  a  very  thoughtful 
mind. 

Another  prominent  member  of  this  tribe  is  Kayegvitto, 
a  smart,  good-natured  fellow  who  is  taller,  and  probably  is 
also  stronger,  than  any  of  his  comrades.  This  superiority 
has  made  him  very  vain.  He  seems  to  have  formed  the 
opinion  that  he  is  really  the  leading  man  of  the  tribe  and 
that  he  ought  to  be  acknowledged  as  such.  He  evidently 
gained  this  idea  by  observing  the  conduct  of  our  own 
people.  He  observed  that  there  was  one  of  our  party  who 
was  treated  with  great  respect  and  was  obeyed  by  the 
others.  Doubtless  this  awakened  a  desire  on  his  part  to 
act  as  leader  of  his  companions.  His  vanity  was  quite 
conspicuous,  as  there  was  no  trace  of  it  in  any  other 
member  of  the  tribe.  His  comrades  treat  the  matter  as 
a  sort  of  a  joke,  smile,  and  say  something  equivalent  to 
"  Kayegvitto  —  yes,  poor  fellow,  he  is  a  little  off." 

On  one  occasion  this  vanity  on  the  part  of  Kayegvitto 
proved  of  great  benefit  to  our  party.  This  was  about  the 
middle  of  winter,  when  the  second  Peary  expedition  was 
at  the  north.  The  supply  of  food  for  our  large  num- 
ber of  dogs  had  become  greatly  reduced.     We  had  heard 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    427 


that  Kayegvitto  had  a  considerable  quantity  of  meat  at 
the  colony  Nachsa,  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound. 
It  was  decided  that  I  should  go  there  and  try  to  obtain  a 
supply.  I  set  out  and  on  the  following  day  reached  the 
colony  while  the  moon  was  shining.  I  was  received  at 
the  shore  by  all  the  male  inhabitants,  prominent  among 
whom  was  Kayegvitto.  No  sooner  did  the  latter  see 
that  it  was  a  Kablunak  who  had  come  to  pay  them  a  visit 
than  he  shot  into  his  hut  like  an  arrow,  but  he  soon  re- 
turned, clad  in  an  old  and  well-worn  coat  that  he  had 
obtained  the  previous  autumn  by  trade  from  one  of  the 
members  of  the  expedition,  lliis,  he  appeared  to  think 
gave  him  a  suflficient  degree  of  dignity  to  enable  him  to 
represent  his  "  subjects  "  in  proper  manner. 

I  at  once  walked  up  to  him,  took  his  hand,  and  shook 
it  very  hard.  The  ceremony  of  shaking  hands  is  not 
customary  among  the  Eskimos  of  this  tribe,  but  they  had 
learned  its  meaning,  and  in  this  case  it  appeared  very 
flattering  to  Kayegvitto.  I  then  explained  to  him  my 
errand,  telling  him  that  Peary,  the  great  master  (nale- 
gaksuak)  from  the  distant  land,  wanted  meat  for  his  hungry 
dogs,  and  that  I  had  come  to  ask  Kayegvitto,  the  great 
master  of  the  Innuits,  to  supply  him.  I  said  that  Kayeg- 
vitto had  a  good  deal  of  meat,  he  was  a  great  hunter,  and 
that  only  he  was  nalegaksuak  of  the  Innuits.  The  last 
sentence  was  highly  pleasing  to  the  person  to  whom  it 
was  addressed.  He  repeated  it  several  times,  and  then 
invited  me  to  spend  the  night  at  his  home,  an  invitation 
which,  of  course,  was  promptly  accepted. 

On  the  following  morning  a  conference  was  held  to 
discuss  the  matter  of  giving  me  the  supplies  for  which  I 
had  asked.     After  I  had  for  a  couple  of  times  called  this 


n 


II 


11 


r 


.1 


428 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


ml 

M 
HkK 


' :  ;::■ 

'  ...  .  s* 

:.  1          1! 

'  :'.\ 

;■  I.     i   Kt 


ill 


I; 


I 


heavy,  coarsely  built  man  the  great  master  of  the  Innuits, 
Kayegvitto,  with  an  air  of  superiority  that  was  indescrib- 
ably ludicrous,  ordered  his  companions  to  fill  my  sledge 
with  meat.  Once  in  a  while  he  would  assist  in  the  work 
by  graciously  picking  out  for  me  the  larger  pieces  of  meat. 
The  Eskimos  who,  for  the  occasion,  had  voluntarily  con- 
descended to  be  the  subjects  of  Kayegvitto,  heartily  en- 
joyed the  whole  affair,  and  were  good-natured  enough  to 
continue  the  comedy  to  the  end. 

When  the  meat  was  loaded  Kayegvitto  received  a 
suitable  present,  which  apparently  he  had  not  expected, 
and  I  left  the  great  man  standing  in  the  moonlight,  still 
dressed  in  his  thin  coat,  although  the  temperature  was 
something  like  minus  40°  Celsius. 

In  this  tribe  there  is  a  little  orphan  boy  whose  name  is 
Kadluktu.  He  lived  for  a  long  time  at  our  winter  house, 
under  Matt's  berth,  and  was  well  fed  with  the  remnants 
of  our  meals.  He  was  a  nice  and  brig-ht  little  fellow, 
and  we  took  quite  an  interest  in  him.  Matt,  especially, 
seemed  to  have  an  almost  fatherly  care  for  him.  First 
he  gave  him  a  thorough  washing  over  his  whole  body. 
Then  he  employed  a  couple  of  old  women  to  free  his 
clothes  from  dirt  and  vermin,  an  operation  that  was 
greatly  needed.  When  these  things  had  been  done,  he 
cut  the  boy's  hair  as  close  as  that  of  a  seal ;  and  as  far 
as  outward  appearance  could  go,  Kadluktu  was  civilized. 
The  little  fellow  has  no  steady  home.  He  lives  some- 
times with  one  family  and  at  others  with  another,  but 
wherever  he  goes  he  is  always  treated  kindly. 

Kaoni  is  the  name  of  a  queer  fellow  who  has  a  large 
wife  and  four  children.  I  suspect  that  he  is  a  bit  hen- 
pecked.    At   the   colonies   which    Kaoni  visits   there   is 


INl'ELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    429 

always  fun  for  the  inhabitants,  but  it  is  at  his  expense. 
He  is  extremely  awkward  in  everything  that  he  does,  and 
in  addition  to  this  he  has  the  unfortunate  habit  of  stut- 
tering. So  it  is  inevitable  that  he  should  be  the  princi- 
pal figure  in  the  funny  stories  which  his  neighbors  tell 
each  other.  The  following  will  serve  as  a  sanij)le  of 
these  humorous  narrations.  It  represents  a  conversation 
such  as  occurs  when  two  hunters  who  live  near  him  meet 
each  other : — 

"  Nukta  caught  a  narwhal  day  before  yesterday,  and 
Angodlu  and  Mahotia  each  caught  a  seal  yesterday." 

"  Indeed !  Akkomodlngva  and  I  also  killed  two  seals 
yesterday.  Kaoni  was  to  go  with  us,  but  the  kaiak  he 
had  borrowed  upset  just  as  he  pushed  out  from  land,  and 
then  he  stayed  at  home."  [Long  and  subdued  laughter 
from  both  hunters.] 

"  What  did  Kaoni  say  when  he  came  back  again  1  " 

"  Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-iak  is  no  good."  "  Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-oni 
either,  we  added."  [Again  prolonged  laughter  from  both 
parties.] 

On  our  last  expedition  we  took  with  us  an  Edison 
phonograph,  and  often  allowed  the  Eskimos  to  listen  to 
it.  Strange  to  say  they  did  not  seem  to  be  very  much 
impressed  with  this  wonderful  invention.  They  never 
for  a  moment  appeared  to  connect  this  apparatus  with 
anything  supernatural.  They  laughed  at  it,  and  seemed 
to  enjoy  hearing  its  hidden  voices,  but  evidently  looked 
upon  it  much  as  they  would  have  looked  upon  a  toy  with 
which  they  had  been  familiar  for  years.  We  expected 
that  they  would  regard  the  voices  as  those  of  the  spirits 
who  hold  a  prominent  place  in  their  religious  conceptions. 
But  their  keen  intelligence  seemed  to  immediately  make 


;     1 

r 

m 


;     I 


71^ 


T 


■I   ! 


K 

..J 


i't 


i 

h^ 

;!,. 

I 


f  l1 

il 


m 


I 


430 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


plain  to  them  that  the  plionograph,  hke  many  other  curi- 
osities which  the  Kablunak  possessed,  was  a  wonderfully 
complicated,  but  otherwise  a  quite  natural,  product  of  the 
work  of  human  hands  and  minds. 

Most  Eskimos  can  easily  count  up  to  twenty,  but  in 
practical  affairs  they  seldom  or  never  have  any  need  for  so 
large  a  number.  When  they  refer  to  more  than  five  ob- 
jects they  usually  say  "  many,"  or  use  some  similar  term 
without  attempting  to  be  exact.  Sometimes,  however, 
when  in  the  long  winter  nights  they  sit  in  their  low  huts 
and  cut  from  ivory  small  figures  of  men,  or  animals,  or 
curiosities  of  various  forms,  they  try  to  count  them,  and 
go  as  high  as  thirty  or  forty.  They  count  on  their  fin- 
gers: one,  atasuk;  two,  magluk ;  three,  pingarsut ;  four, 
sissami ;  five,  tedlumet.  If  they  want  to  go  higher  they 
call  six  the  first  finger  on  the  second  hand,  or  igluane  ata- 
suk (sometimes  abbreviated  to  igluane) ;  seven  will  be  the 
second  finger  on  the  second  hand,  or  igluane  magluk, 
and  so  on  until  they  reach  ten.  Then,  as  ihey  have  no 
more  fingers,  they  begin  to  count  over  again  on  the  fin- 
gers but  give  them  the  names  of  the  toes.  Therefore 
thirteen  will  be  three  toes  on  the  first  foot ;  seventeen 
will  be  two  toes  on  the  second  foot,  and  twenty  will  be 
the  last  toe  on  the  last  foot.  If  the  Eskimo  wants  to 
count  a  larger  number  than  twenty,  he  starts  on  a  new 
man.  Twenty -one  will  then  be  one  on  the  new  man 
(Innuit  aipachsjani  atasuk).  In  this  way  the  count  can  be 
carried  up  to  forty. 

The  Eskimos  are  quite  ingenious  and  are  possessed  of 
a  good  deal  of  mechanical  skill.  These  qualities  are  par- 
ticularly exhibited  when  they  have  occasion  to  repair 
guns   or  other  weapons  or  implements,  for  which  work 


M 


be 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOiS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    43. 

they  have  nothing  suitable  in  the  way  of  tools  or  mate- 
rials. One  of  their  most  clifificult  tasks  is  to  \)\\\.  a  gun  in 
repair  after  the  spring  of  the  lock  has  been  broken.  It 
may  be  a  long  time,  months,  perhaps,  before  the  owner  or 
any  of  his  friends  can  devise  a  remedy ;  but  one  is  pretty 
certain  to  be  found,  and  on  some  fine  day  the  gunner 
may  again  be  seen  in  search  of  game,  with  his  weapcjn  in 
good  working  order.  He  may  liave  been  forced  to  give 
up  the  old  lock,  the  spring  now  in  use  may  be  made  of 
ivory  instead  of  steel,  and  the  discharge  may  be  effected 
by  pulling  aside  a  piece  of  wood  which  has  kept  the  ham- 
mer drawn  back ;  but  in  spite  of  all  these  things  the  gun 
is  again  a  serviceable  weapon,  and  the  owner  is  able  to  do 
as  much  execution  as  he  could  before  the  accident  which 
disabled  it  occurred. 

East  of  Cape  York  there  are  several  large  meteors. 
These  were  carefully  examined  by  Lieutenant  Peary  in 
the  spring  of  1894.  It  is  said  that  when  the  English 
polar  expedition  under  Sir  John  Ross  visited  this  region 
in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  the  natives  were 
using  pieces  of  iron,  which  th/^y  obtained  here,  for  point- 
ing their  spears  and  harpoons.  It  is  not  easy  to  under- 
stand how  they  were  able  to  hammer  the  iron  into  a 
suitable  form  without  heating  it.  This  method  of  working 
the  metal  was  not  known  to  the  Eskimos  in  this  vicinity 
until  they  came  in  contact  with  the  members  of  the  Peary 
expedition.  It  is  therefore  probable  that  in  earlier  times 
the  natives  were  able  to  use  only  a  few  fiat  splinters 
w^hich,  by  the  agency  of  natural  ciuses,  had  become 
separated  from  the  larger  bodies. 

The  Eskimos  are  careful  to  protect  the  feet  of  their 
dogs  from  injury  by  the  hard  and  sharp  ice  that  forms 


' 


W  ■ 


'^i. 


432 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


l^ 


li 


upon  the  surface  of  the  snow  in  spring.  For  this  purpose 
they  make  socks  of  seal-skin,  which  are  tied  to  the  legs  of 
the  clogs  below  the  lowest  joint,  and  which  prove  very 
efficient. 

These  people  know  the  difference  between  hard  and 
soft  woods,  and  readily  distinguish  between  pine  and  fir 
and  oak  and  ash.  As  they  have  never  seen  a  livin^;  tree, 
this  seems  quite  remarkable.  If  they  could  suddenly  be 
brought  where  they  could  see  the  mighty  oaks  or  the 
dark  green  pines,  similar  to  the  trees  which  have  fur- 
nished the  small  pieces  of  timber  of  which  their  sledges 
are  made,  they  would  shout  with  joy. 

The  Eskimos  have  a  good  deal  of  musical  taste,  but  in 
most  cases  it  is  so  slightly  developed  that  they  are  not 
able  to  catch  our  plainest  and  simples;  airs.  Still  there 
are  some  exceptions.  Ituschaksui  was  our  most  advanced 
pupil.  We  succeeded  in  teaching  her  to  sing  several  of 
our  common  songs  correctly.  All  the  others  to  whom  we 
tried  to  teach  these  airs  would  introduce  many  false  notes. 
Still,  their  own  songs,  with  which  they  were  thoroughly 
familiar,  they  sang  very  nicely.  This  was  especially  true 
in  chorus.  Here  no  single  voice  made  itself  prominent 
among  the  others,  and  the  general  effect  of  the  singing 
was  quite  pleasing. 

The  religious  ideas  of  the  Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound, 
though  not  very  clearly  defined,  are  nevertheless  quite 
interesting.  In  this  small  tribe  we  find  a  shadow  of  the 
belief,  or  perhaps  a  groping  after  the  ideas,  that  were  held 
by  our  own  ancestors  thousands  of  years  ago.  In  reality 
we  are  considering  a  people  who  are  just  beginning  to 
emerge  from  the  stone  age.  They  are  an  original  people 
who  have  remained  in  character  and  in  conduct  almost 


mm 


1 


iring 


und, 
uite 
the 
held 
ahty 
to 
ople 
r.ost 


INTELLIGENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    433 

unchanged  through  the  lapse  of  the  ages,  and  who  furnish 
one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  of  study  to  tiiose  wlio 
desire  to  trace  the  development  and  progress  of  mankind. 

The  various  religions  of  civilized  people  have  assumed 
certain  definite  forms.  The  doctrines  of  each  can  be 
stated  in  a  few  brief  articles  of  faith  which  are  set  forth 
in  the  most  positive  terms.  But  it  is  altogether  different 
with  the  reh'gion,  or  rather  with  the  religious  conceptions, 
of  the  Eskimos.  The  views  of  this  people  are  vague  and 
undecided.  Upon  most  points  there  is  no  general  agree- 
ment as  to  what  constitutes  the  truth,  but  each  individual 
has  his  own  ideas.  These  take  a  very  wide  range,  but 
they  are  mostly  in  a  shadowy  form. 

Probably  this  uncertainty  is  very  largely  due  to  the 
small  number  of  people  in  the  tribe.  In  large  societies 
people  are  strongly  influenced  by  the  opinions  and  beliefs 
of  the  masses  around  them.  The  fact  tliat  millions  of 
people  have  accepted  certain  doctrines  gives  to  these 
forms  of  belief  a  very  strong  presumption  of  truth.  But 
where  the  public,  so  far  as  is  known,  embraces  only  a 
very  few  hundred  people,  its  influence  upon  the  individual 
must  be  relatively  small.  And  where,  as  in  this  case,  no 
common  statement  of  belief  has  been  formulated,  the  per- 
sonal element  attains  a  still  greater  degree  of  prominence. 
My  opinion  upon  this  point  has  been  strengthened,  per- 
haps I  might  say  that  its  truth  has  been  confirmed,  by 
various  conversations  which  I  have  had  with  the  natives 
themselves. 

After  becoming  well  acquainted  with  him,  and  gaining 

his  confidence  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was  willing  to 

talk  with   me  upon  a  subject  which  is  one  of   the  last 

which  uncivilized  people  will  discuss  with  others,  I  asked 
28 


i.' 


i  ■ 

11= 


434 


ACROSS  NO  fi!  THE  UN  GREENLAND 


Kolotengva,  "  Do  the  Innuits  believe  that  there  is  a  life 
after  death  ?"  He  replied:  "  Yes.  When  an  Innuit  dies 
his  soul  (or  rather  '  shadow  ')  will  wander  to  a  land  below 
us,  where  there  is  good  hunting,  much  sunshine,  and 
everything  pleasant.  Hut  others  think  that  the  soul  goes 
to  a  land  high  up  in  the  air,  and  nobody  is  sure  what  is 
right.  We  Innuits  are  so  few,  and  there  are  so  many 
Kablunaks,  and  you  know  everything.  Tell  us  how  it  is 
about  this  matter.' 

It  is  not  necessary  to  state  in  full  my  reply  to  this 
request.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  went  so  fai  as  to  promise 
Kolotengva  an  eternal  life  much  happier  than  his  life  on 
earth.  No  better  consolation  can  be  offered  a  man  who 
is  troubled  by  the  thought  of  death. 

When  a  Christian  feels  the  cares  and  sorrows  of  life 
bearing  heavily  upon  him,  and  finds  trial  and  disappoint- 
ment his  constant  companions, he  turns  in  prayer  to  anal- 
mighty  and  compassionate  God,  and  obtains  the  help  and 
consolation  which  he  so  sorely  needs.  With  the  Eskimos 
mighty  but  invisible  spirits  take  the  place  of  God,  and  in 
some  measure  compensate  for  their  want  of  knowledge  of 
a  single  all-powerful  Ruler.  They  think  that  these  spirits 
can  be  imprisoned  by  their  angekoks  or  magicians.  W^hen 
this  has  been  accomplished  it  is  thought  that  conferences 
can  be  held  with  the  spirits,  and  that  they  can  be  per- 
suaded to  cure  sickness,  give  success  in  hunting,  and  aid 
in  all  of  the  various  affairs  of  the  daily  lives  of  their  peti- 
tioners. 

Both  men  and  women  can  become  angekoks,  though 
all  are  not  equally  well  adapted  for  such  a  distinction. 
Clearness  of  intellect,  dexterity,  and  a  talent  for  acting  are 
all  required  to  enable  a  man  to  secure  respect  as  a  magi- 


m 


»( 


peti- 


ough 


INTI'J.I.IGr.NCI':,  h'l'.l  IGIOLS  IDEAS,  CL  STO.MS    4^5 

cian.  The  older  ant^ekoks  teach  the  youi^L^er  |)e()|)Io  who 
think  themselves  especially  qualified  for  the  position,  or 
who  are  attracted  to  the  mystic  occupation.  The  time 
required  for  learning  extends  over  several  years,  and  dur- 
ing the  course  of  instruction  many  mysterious  ceremonies 
are  performed. 

The  principal  spirit  of  which  the  I'^skimos  profess  to 
have  knowledge  is  I'ornaluiksua  ("the  giant  shadow"). 
According  to  the  angekoks  he  lives  exclusively  upon  the 
land,  can  do  harm  as  well  as  good,  and  though  of  su|  er- 
natural  size,  he  has  the  human  form.  When  on  a  (|iil('t 
day  in  summer  some  sudden  noise  of  falling  rocks  is 
heard  in  a  colony,  the  inhabitants  will  say  in  a  low  and 
anxious  voice,  "  Tornahuksua  !  Tornahuksua  !  "  They 
think  this  mighty  s])irit  is  then  wandering  along  the  dark 
cliiYs  of  the  mountain-side. 

Another  sj)irit  of  considerable  importance  is  called 
Kokvoia.  This  is  said  to  have  k)ng  black  arms,  and  to 
live  in  the  sea.  There  are  also  many  other  spirits  and 
mystic  beings,  but  they  are  all  of  an  inferior  order.  There 
is,  as  has  been  indicated,  a  great  deal  of  superstition 
among  tlie  natives,  but  it  is  so  vaijue,  and  varies  so  much 
with  different  individuals,  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  note 
any  specific  form  which  can  be  said  to  be  characteristic  of 
the  tribe. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  how  many  angekoks  arc  to  be 
found  among  the  Innuits  at  Smith  Sound.  In  fact,  there 
is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  among  th  ^  members  of 
the  tribe  as  to  which  individuals  of  their  number  are 
entitled  to  this  distinction.  For  myself,  I  do  not  think 
that  there  is  a  very  strongly  marked  difference  between 
the  magicians  and  many  of  those  who  are  not  fully  recog- 


•1 


ti  ' 


M 


\     ':, 


(  I. 


M=: 


(    I 


i! 


1 


' ) 


^  i 


^•i 


1i 


1  >. 


t'l' 


i     < 


!:'• 

!■,* 


:^ 


■  i- 

1 

t        I 

fil 

•*■■  I  1 

i 

1" 

5:J 

M 

1 

(ill 

|:-i 

L 

Lkuliii' 

436 


ACJ^OSS  NORTHERN  GREIiNUiND 


nizcd  as  such.  My  impression  is  that  all  vvlio  can  show  a 
little  feelinj;  and  niysticisni  in  their  songs  make  preten- 
sions of  hc'longing  to  this  class  on  every  occasion  that 
offers  itself.  It  is,  however,  one  thing  for  a  person  to 
pose  as  an  angekok  and  c|iiite  another  to  so  appear  as 
to  inspire  others  with  reverence.  There  are  hardly  more 
than  a  half  dozen  in  the  tribe  who  are  really  venerated  by 
their  companions.  Of  these,  four  are  men  and  two  are 
elderly  women. 

The  youngest  of  the  four  male  angekoks,  and  the  one 
who  is  the  most  highly  resi)ected,  is  Kayapaddu.  I  le  is 
about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  fat  and  smiling,  and  has  only 
to  put  on  the  blue  sn(nv-spectacles  with  which  Peary  pre- 
sented him  to  very  closely  reiiemble  a  good  old-fashioned 
minister.  WHien  he  gave  his  spiritualistic  seances,  the 
light  from  the  train-oil  lamp  was  turned  so  low  that  the 
occupants  of  the  room  could  hardly  see  each  other.  Then 
Kayapaddu,  holding  a  skin  drum  in  one  hand  and  a  drum- 
stick made  of  bone  in  the  other,  would  go  forward  on  the 
floor  and  bec:in  to  sing  and  drum. 

At  first  his  song  was  low  and  quiet,  but  gradually  it 
would  show  more  and  more  excitement,  his  body  would 
sway  so  that  his  long  hair  would  wave  wildly  around,  and 
his  face  would  take  on  an  agonized  expression.  In  a  few 
hours  he  was  covered  with  perspiration.  He  pressed  his 
hands  to  his  forehead,  cried  and  moaned,  then  suddenly 
burst  out  in  a  roaring,  almost  a  demoniacal  laughter,  and 
at  last  succeeded  in  making  appear  for  him  some  invisible 
spirits  of  the  lower  orders  that  he  used  as  messengers  to 
the  higher  powers.  Now  he  frequently  changed  his  voice. 
Someames  it  represented  the  voice  of  a  spirit,  at  others  it 
was  perfectly  natural.     He  became  more  and  more  noisy 


IXTF.I.L/GENCE,  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS,  CUSTOMS    437 


4.,«i 


and  demonstrative,  until  at  length  many  t)f  his  hearers 
became  so  nervous  and  excited  that  they  trembled  with 
emotion  and  some  of  them  began  to  moan  with  him. 

If  the  object  of  this  performance  was  to  heal  the  sick, 
or  to  prolong  the  life  of  one  who  appeared  to  be  dying, 
Kayapaddu  would  sometimes  continue  the  exercises  for 
several  hours.  lie  would  seldom  give  u|)  until  the  |)a- 
tient  was  either  dead  or  improving.  If  dt-alh  occurred 
at  such  a  time  it  would  be  said,  in  favor  of  the  angekok, 
that  recovery  was  impossible,  as  .some  hostile  spirit  had 
obtained  power  over  the  soul,  and  had  ])reviously  stolen 
it,  or  some  similar  excuse  for  his  failure  would  be  made. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  recovery  ensued,  respect  for  the 
magician  apjieared  to  be  greatly  increased. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  natives  who  are  present  at 
these  performances  believe  that  the  sj)irits  are  really  jires- 
ent,  and  that  they  negotiate  with  the  angekok.  .And  for 
my  part  I  dare  not  doubt  that  the  angekok  acts  in  good 
faith.  It  is  often  said,  and  perha])s  correctly,  that  if  a  lie 
is  repeated  times  enough,  the  one  v.ho  tells  it  comes  to 
believe  that  it  is  true.  There  can  hardly  be  a  question 
that  the  angekoks  are  self-deceived. 

The  belief  which  appears  to  extend  to  all  races  and  all 
parts  of  the  world  in  amulets,  or  objects  that  have  the 
power  to  protect  their  wearer  from  evil  spirits  and  give 
security  when  danger  threatens,  is  common  among  the 
Eskimos  at  Smith  Sound.  These  amulets  are  often  nar- 
row bracelets  of  black  seal-skin  without  hair.  For  women 
necklaces  of  the  same  material  are  in  common  use.  Pieces 
of  seal-skin  clothes  that  once  belonged  to  people  who  have 
died,  small  ivory  figures  of  men  or  animak,  and  various 
other  objects  are  also  employed.     The  amulets  are  conse- 


lil 


1      I 


^5^ 


438 


ACROSS  NORTHERN  GREENLAND 


i»i 


ii  I  >  K 


.  •:> 


W 


crated  by  singing  mystic  songs  over  them.  As  a  rule  the 
older  people  decide,  or  at  least  suggest,  what  objects  the 
children  or  young  people  ought  to  select  for  the  purpose. 

When  an  Eskimo  dies  the  remaining  members  of  the 
family  observe  many  formalities,  in  order  that  the  soul  of 
the  deceased  shall  not  feel  insulted.  They  are  not  to 
mention  his  name,  but  must  cry  and  mourn  a  certain 
length  of  time  after  his  death.  Those  who  have  touched 
the  dead  body  or  anything  belonging  to  it  must  for  a 
long  period  observe  certain  rules  in  regard  to  their  cloth- 
ing and  diet. 

Before  the  bod^'  is  taken  out  it  is  dressed  in  full  travel- 
ling  costume.  Then  it  is  drawn  by  straps  through  the 
entry  of  the  house,  taken  for  some  distance  from  the 
dwellings  and  away  from  the  shore,  and  is  well  covered 
with  stones.  Often  the  corpse  is  bent  so  that  the  knees 
touch  the  breast,  and  is  then  rolled  in  skins.  This  is 
done  to  save  the  labor  of  making  as  large  a  grave  as 
otherwise  would  be  needed.  The  house  in  which  a  death 
has  occurred  is  immediately  vacated.  If  it  is  ever  used 
again  it  will  be  only  after  a  long  period  of  time  has  inter- 
vened. 

All  the  property  of  the  dead  that  his  friends  think 
could  be  of  service  to  him  in  his  long  wandering  to  the 
land  of  souls  is  placed  near  the  grave.  The  natives  be- 
lieve that  it  is  the  "  souls  '.'  of  these  objects,  and  not  the 
material  things  themselves,  that  will  be  useful  to  the  de- 
parted in  his  long  last  journey.  And  while  the  soul  is 
going  toward  the  distant  sunlit  hunting  fields  the  body 
remains  in  eternal  sleep.  Only  the  chilling  blasts-  of  the 
wind  penetrate  among  the  stones  and  sweep  through  the 
faded  fur  coat  in  which  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  man 
is  clothed. 


1 


in 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY 


(:ii 


OF  THE  PRINCIPAL 

EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

FROM  THE   NINTH  CENTURY  TO  THE 
PEARY  EXPEDITION 

INCLUDING  THOSE  OF 

CABOT,  FROBISHER,  BERING,  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN, 

KANE,  HAYES,  HALL,  NORDENSKJOLD, 

NARES,  SCHWATKA,  DE  LONG, 

GREELY,  AND  OTHERS 

BV 

JOHN  E.  READ 

ASSISTANT   EDITOR  OF   THE   "COLUMBIAN   CYCLOPEDIA" 


man 


,  i 


1      >t    ,ll  M      ? 

1 

<  i 

i 

r 


;! 


Si 


t; 


fe!! 


1  ,«■ 


t 

lie 


{'  : 


lit 


dZ'^t/^^^z^ 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


< 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


F'f 


Who  first  engaged  in  Arctic  exploration,  and  from 
what  point  and  on  what  date  the  first  expedition  started,  is 
unknown.  Pytheas,  a  geographer  who  lived  in  the  time 
of  Alexander  the  Great,  claimed  to  have  entered  the 
Polar  Zone.  He  reported  the  discovery  of  various  re- 
gions, and  reiDresented  that  he  had  "  explored  Northern 
Europe  even  to  the  world's  end."  To  some  region  that 
he  visited  the  name  of  Thule  was  fjiven  ;  but  whether  this 
was  Iceland,  one  of  the  Shetland  Islands,  or  some  other 
country,  cannot  be  determined. 

Whatever  may  have  previously  been  discovered,  it  is 
probable  that  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  there 
were  no  human  settlements  farther  north  than  the  Faroe 
Islands.  It  is  certain  that  at  this  date  the  Scandinavians 
were  a  hardy  and  restless  people,  fearless  and  persevering, 
and  possessed  of  an  unquenchable  spirit  of  adventure  and 
thirst  for  discovery.  There  is  reason  to  suppose  that 
about  the  year  860  a  party  of  these  sea  rovers,  while  at- 
tempting to  reach  the  Faroe  Islands,  were  driven  upon  an 
island  which  presented  such  an  inhospitable  appearance 
that  they  named  it  Snowland.  A  few  years  later  a  party 
of  Swedes  visited  the  same  island  and  gave  it  the  name  of 

441 


M' 


( 


1 1 


442 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


r-f 


Iceland,  by  which  it  has  since  been  known.  In  or  about 
the  year  874  Norwegian  adventurers  estabHslied  the  first 
permanent  settlement  upon  the  island  and  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  a  prosperous  colony. 

Previous  to  this,  voyages  in  the  northern  waters  appear 
to  have  been  undertaken  principally  for  the  ])urpose  of 
adventure.  But  in  890  Simon  Otho,  or  Other,  a  Norwe- 
gian sailor,  reputed  to  have  been  in  the  service  of  Alfred 
tlie  Great  of  England,  seems  to  have  engaged  in  a  mari- 
time exploration  which  had  a  commercial  end  in  view. 
y\t  this  time  the  Venetians  and  the  Moors  controlled 
commerce  and  shut  out  the  English  people  from  direct 
trade  with  Turkey  and  India.  It  was  therefore  desired 
to  find  a  way  of  reaching  these  countries  without  passing 
into  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  According  to  ancient  rec- 
ords the  king  fitted  out  a  ship  and  commissioned  Otho 
to  make  a  voyage  of  discovery  "  for  the  glorye  of  God,  the 
honour  of  his  kinge,  and  publique  goode  of  his  countrie." 
Thus  equipped  Otho  commenced  a  search  for  a  northeast 
passage  to  India.  Just  how  far  he  went  cannot  be  deter- 
mined, but  it  is  certain  that  he  sailed  around  the  northern 
extremity  of  Iceland,  and  that  he  was  the  first  navigator 
who  crossed  the  Arctic  Circle.  After  enduring  many 
hardships  he  returned  home  without  making  any  valuable 
discoveries. 

When  the  Iceland  colony  had  been  established  about 
a  hundred  years  it  was  joined  by  Thorwald,  a  powerful 
chief  who  had  been  expelled  from  Norway.  He  was  soon 
followed  by  his  son,  who  is  known  in  history  as  Eric  the 
Red.  The  latter  had  heard  of  a  land  upon  which  a  sail- 
ing party  had  been  driven  in  a  storm,  and  in  the  year  982 
he  started  on  a  voyage  on  which  he  discovered  a  country 


]J 


>  ',1 


PIONEER    VO  \  'A  GES 


443 


t'    i 


which  he  called  Greenland.  It  is  supposed  that  this 
pleasant  name  was  given  in  order  to  induce  people  to 
settle  there.  That  it  proved  disappointing  to  some  of  its 
visitors  is  indicated  by  one  of  the  early  writers,  who  said 
that  "  certainly  there  is  no  place  in  the  world  yet  knowne 
and  discovered  that  is  less  greene  than  it."  In  spite  of 
the  forbidding  aspect  of  the  country,  Erie  succeedetl  in 
establishing  a  colony  which  soon  became  of  considerable 
importance.  The  Christian  religion  was  accepted  and 
the  church  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1121  a 
bishop  was  consecrated.  I'\)r  about  three  hundred  years 
thereafter  the  colony  was  strong  and  thriving.  /\t  the 
close  of  this  period  a  rapid  decline  commenced,  and  the 
church  and  colony  fell  into  utter  ruin.  The  causes 
of  their  disappearance  are  involved  in  an  impenetrable 
mystery. 

In  the  year  1000  Leif,  a  son  of  Eric  the  Red,  having 
been  told  by  a  visitor  from  Iceland  who  had  encountered 
contrary  winds  of  a  land  that  he  had  seen  while  on  his 
way,  started  on  a  voyage  in  hope  of  discovering  this  un- 
known region.  The  numerous  accounts  of  this  voyage 
which  have  come  down  to  the  present  time  show  consid- 
erable variation  as  to  details,  but  it  is  clear  that  the  party 
saw  Newfoundland  and  Nova  Scotia,  that  they  landed  on 
the  coast  of  New  England,  that  they  wintered  near  Plym- 
outh Rock,  and  that  here  was  born  a  child  that  in  all 
probability  was  the  first  one  born  of  European  parents  on 
the  American  continent.  On  account  of  the  fjreat  num- 
ber  of  vines  which  were  found,  the  country  was  named 
V inland.  All  this  occurred  nearly  five  hundred  years 
before  Columbus  set  foot  on  the  New  World. 

In   1380  two  Venetian  brothers,  named  Zeno,  are  said 


li-' 


v      I 


M  ' 


I  I 


m 


! 

'y^, 

i| 

[    : 

i 

:il 

i 

,  I 


M 


I 


i;  1 

'5 1 


..yl 


:liL 


I 

r 


\t 


!     M 


[! 


iti> 


i"; 

I 

i 


I  - 


fin 


I 


■m 


ill 


444 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


to  have  sailed  to  the  north  and  on  their  return  given 
interesting  accounts  of  the  countries  which  they  had 
seen,  but  just  what  lands  they  reached  cannot  be  deter- 
mined. Various  other  venturesome  navigators  sailed  u]5on 
American  waters,  but  for  a  long  period  after  the  discovery 
of  the  New  England  coast  no  important  results  were 
obtained. 

The  wonderful  discoveries  of  Columuus  gave  a  new 
and  powerful  impetus  to  maritime  adventure  and  exj^lo- 
ration.  From  this  time  on,  instead  of  the  roving  voyages 
of  individuals,  expeditions  were  organized  with  great  care, 
often  under  the  authority  of  the  government  of  the  coun- 
try whence  they  sailed,  and  were  commanded  by  men 
who  were  educated  in  the  science  of  the  time  and  also 
were  in  most  cases  practical  seamen.  In  1496  John 
Cabot,  a  Venetian  then  living  at  Bristol,  and  his  sons 
were  authorized  by  a  ro3'al  patent  from  Henry  VII.  of 
England  to  sail  under  the  English  flag  "  to  all  parts, 
countries,  and  seas,  of  the  east,  of  the  west,  and  of  the 
north,"  and  as  ofiicers  of  the  king  to  take  possession  of 
w'hatever  lands  they  might  discover.  The  explorers  were 
obliged  to  furnish  their  own  ships  and  equipment,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  spring  of  1497  that  the  expedition 
started.  On  this  trip  John  Cabot  was  accompanied  by 
his  second  son,  Sebastian,  who  became  a  noted  explorer. 
Newfoundland  and  Labrador  were  discovered  some  eigh- 
teen months  before  Columbus  reached  the  mainland  of 
America.  In  1498  John  Cabot  received  another  com- 
mission from  the  king,  but  for  some  unknown  reason  he 
was  not  able  to  go  with  the  expedition,  and  Sebastian 
Cabot  took  command  of  the  two  ships  that  had  been  pro- 
vided.    There  is  no  doubt  that  an  effort  was  made  to  find 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


445 


pro- 
find 


a  northwest  passage  to  India,  but  accounts  of  the  e.\i)edi- 
tion  are  so  hopelessly  confused  and  conflicting  that  it  is 
impossible  to  determine  the  course  that  was  pursued  or 
tiie  highest  degree  of  latitude  that  was  reached. 

In  the  year  1500  Caspar  Corte real,  of  Portugal,  a  mem- 
ber of  a  noble  family  and  connected  with  the  court  of 
King  Emmanuel  of  that  country,  sailed  from  Lisbon  and 
explored  the  coast  of  Labrador  for  several  hundred  miles. 
The  following  year  he  made  another  voyage,  and  probably 
reached  Hudson  Strait;  but  during  a  violent  storm  his 
ship  disappeared,  and  no  trace  of  it  or  of  its  crew  was 
ever  found.  In  1524  France  sent  out  an  expedition,  com- 
manded by  Giovanni  Verazzano,  which  followed  the  coast 
of  the  United  States  and  of  British  America  to  a  latitude 
of  50°.  After  his  return  Jacques  Cartier  sailed  from 
France  and  reached  the  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  which,  with 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  he  afterward  more  fully  explored. 

During  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  two  polar  expeditions 
were  made  by  the  English,  but  they  added  little  or  nothing 
to  the  knowledge  of  northern  regions  that  had  previously 
been  acquired.  Then  a  company  of  merchants,  said  to 
have  been  men  of  "  great  wisdom  and  gravity,"  fitted  out 
three  ships  for  an  expedition  to  search  for  a  northeastern 
passage  to  India  and  China.  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  who, 
though  he  seems  to  have  known  very  little  about  naval 
affairs,  was  considered  "  a  most  valiant  gentleman,"  was 
chosen  commander.  Instructions  for  the  voyage  were 
carefully  drawn  by  Sebastian  Cabot.  This  expedition 
sailed  in  1553.  While  off  the  North  Cape  a  gale  sepa- 
rated the  ships.  Willoughby  came  within  sight  of  Nova 
Zembla,  but  progress  northward  being  impossible  on  ac- 
count of  the  ice,  he  turned  back  to  the  mouth  of  a  river 


II 

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EARJ.JKR   ARCTIC  JiXrLOKATIONS 


in  Lapland,  where  he  went  into  winter  quarters  with  the 
crews  of  the  two  ships  which  had  kept  together.  Here 
they  all  perished  with  cold  or  hunger.  The  ships  were 
afterward  recovered  and  started  for  England  with  the 
bodies  of  the  departed,  some  seventy  in  number,  but  they 
foundered  at  sea  and  the  living  were  engulfed  with  the 
dead.  The  third  ship,  commanded  by  Chancelor,  reached 
ci  place  where  there  was  "  no  night  at  all  "  and  sailed  into 
the  White  Sea.  The  crew  landed  at  Archangel  and 
opened  the  way  for  an  extensive  commerce  between  Hng- 
land  and  Russia. 

In  1576  Martin  T'robisher  sailed  from  England  in  hope 
of  discovering  a  northwest  passage.  Great  demonstrations 
were  made  by  the  people,  and  Queen  Elizabeth  sent  a 
gentleman  on  board  to  inform  the  crews  that  she  wished 
them  "  happie  successe."  A  point  off  the  coast  of  South- 
ern Greenland  was  reached,  but  the  winds  were  so  con- 
trary that  a  landing  could  not  be  effected.  One  of  the 
vessels  was  lost  and  the  commander  of  another  deserted 
the  expedition  and  sailed  back  to  England.  Frobisher 
continued  his  voyage  and  passed  into  what  is  still  known 
as  Frobisher  Strait.  Returning  home,  he  carried,  with 
various  other  things,  specimens  of  minerals  which  were 
tested  by  various  parties,  by  some  of  whom  they  were  said 
to  contain  gold.  Great  excitement  was  occasioned  by  this 
report  and  the  queen  placed  Frobisher  in  command  of 
another  expedition.  These  ships  brought  back  some  two 
hundred  tons  of  the  ore,  but  it  was  found  to  be  not  only 
destitute  of  gold  but  absolutely  worthless.  A  third  and 
larger  expedition  was  soon  prepared  and  sent  out  under 
the  same  commander,  but  it  met  with  various  and  great 
disasters  and  accomplished  nothing  of  marked  importance. 


=:     { 


"^U 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


•M7 


t\\- 


I"'rom  Justin  Winsor's  "  Nnrrnlive  and  Critical  History  of  America." 
I'.y  |icrmissii)n  of  lIouf;lUon,  Mifiliii  &  Co. 


In  1580  two  ships  departed  from  England  in  search  (^f 
a  northeast  passage.  They  were  commanded  by  Arthui- 
Pet  and  Charles  Jackman.  They  entered  the  Kara  Sea, 
but  soon  found  farther  progress  impossible  and  returned. 
Three  years  later  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  who  had  written 
upon  the  subject  of  the  northwest  passage,  secured  from 
Queen  Elizabeth  permission  to  make  a  voyage  to  America 
and  to  take  possession  of  all  "  heathen  and  barbarous 
countries "  which  he  should  discover.      One  fifth  of  the 


1: 


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448 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


gold  and  silver  secured  was  to  becuine  the  property  of 
the  crown,  and  hoiuage  was  to  be  paid  to  the  sovereign. 
With  these  excei)ti()ns  Sir  Humphrey  was  to  have  abso- 
lute authority  in  the  regions  of  which  he  should  take  pos- 
session. After  two  unsuccessful  efforts,  the  first  from 
trouble  with  the  crews  and  the  second  from  bad  weather, 
he  sailed  with  five  ships.  One  soon  returned.  The  others 
reached  Newfoundland,  and  formal  possession  was  taken 
of  the  island.  One  ship  was  sent  home  with  a  number  of 
ih'-  nrew  who  were  sick,  and  one  of  the  others  struck  on 
the  coast  and  was  destroyed  by  the  waves.  Only  sixteen 
of  the  crew  escaped.  The  captain  and  about  one  hun- 
dred of  his  men  went  down  with  the  ship.  T^ogs  were 
heavy  and  food  supplies  were  becoming  scanty.  The 
crews  of  the  two  remaining  ships  desired  to  go  back  to 
England.  /Xfter  exacting  a  promise  that  they  would  re- 
turn with  hini  the  next  spring,  Sir  Humphrey  consented 
to  grant  their  request  and  the  homeward  voyage  was  com- 
menced. The  ship  on  which  Sir  Humphrey  sailed  was 
greatly  overloaded,  and,  encountering  a  hard  storm,  it  went 
down  with  all  on  board.  The  remaining  vessel  succeeded 
in  reaching  England,  though  in  a  somewhat  disabled  con- 
dition. 

A  company  of  English  merchants,  with  the  "  desire  of 
advancing  God's  glory  and  the  good  of  their  native  land," 
fitted  out  two  vessels  for  a  voyage  to  discover  a  passage 
to  India.  This  expedition  was  placed  in  charge  of  John 
Davis,  who  sailed  in  1585.  After  reaching  the  coast  of 
Greenland  and  following  it  to  a  considerable  distance,  he 
turned  to  the  west  and  discovered  the  strait  to  which  his 
name  has  been  given.  He  reached  a  point  much  farther 
north  than  any  previous  navigator,  but  storms  and  fogs 


ili 


PIONEER    VOYAGES 


449 


I  con- 


wcrc  encountered  and  the  ships  returned  to  Ent^land.  In 
15S6  and  15.S7  Davis  revisited  the  places  discovered  on  his 
first  expedition,  and  reached  a  somewhat  hi^^her  hititude, 
but  L^reat  quantities  of  floating  ice  soon  caused  him  to 
leave  the  dangerous  locality. 

The  next  polar  expedition  of  great  importance  was  com- 
manded by  William  Barents,  of  Holland.  lie  made  three 
voyages,  the  first  in  1594.  During  this  voyage  he  reached 
the  northern  point  of  Nova  Zembla,  but  could  not  proceed 
farther  on  account  of  the  ice.  That  he  was  wonderfully 
persevering  in  the  face  of  great  difficulties  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  in  trying  to  get  through  the  pack  of  ice  he 
put  his  ship  around  eighty-one  times.  He  returned  home 
and  the  following  year  had  command  of  another  expedi- 
tion, but  soon  after  he  reached  the  Kara  Sea  a  great  storm 
arose  and  large  quantities  of  ice  drifted  around  the  ships. 
Efforts  to  proceed  were  futile  and  the  weather  became 
severe.  At  this  juncture  a  council  was  held,  and  it  was 
resolved  that  they  had  done  the  best  they  could  to  carry 
out  the  instructions  under  which  they  had  sailed,  but  that 
it  was  now  to  be  "  seen  that  it  does  not  please  God  that 
we  should  continue  our  voyage,  and  that  it  is  necessary 
we  should  desist."  They  therefore  resolved  to  return  to 
Holland  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  government  de- 
clined to  take  further  risks  in  the  matter,  but  offered  a 
reward  to  any  one  who  should  discover  the  passage.  A 
few  residents  of  Amsterdam  equipped  two  vessels,  one  of 
which  was  commanded  by  a  seaman  named  Rijp,  and  the 
other  by  Barents,  which  sailed  in  1596.  Early  in  June 
they  came  to  Bear  Island  and  later  in  the  same  month 
they  discovered  Spitzbergen.  Here  the  commanders  were 
unable  to  agree  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued.  They 
29 


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EARIJER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


therefore  separated,  and  each  ft>lU)\ved  the  direction  whicii 
seemed  to  him  most  Mkely  to  lead  to  a  successful  issue. 
After  sailing  for  some  time  and  making  no  discoveries, 
Rijp  returned  to  Holland.  Barents  reached  the  northeast 
corner  of  Nova  Zembla,  entered  a  bay  which  was  called 
Ice  Haven,  and  was  closed  in  by  the  ice.  Here,  with  the 
sixteen  men  of  his  crew,  he  was  forced  to  spend  the  win- 
ter. With  a  c|uantity  of  drift  wood  which  they  found,  and 
some  planks  from  the  ship,  they  built  a  house.  Here  they 
suffered  almost  beyond  endurance.  i\\\  entry  in  their 
journal  states  that  the  cold  was  so  intense  that  "what  fire 
soever  wee  made  it  would  not  warme  us."  Often  the  walls 
were  covered  with  ice  and  clothing  froze  while  it  was  be- 
ing dried  by  the  fire.  For  eighty-one  days  they  were  with- 
out the  sun.  One  of  their  number  died.  Durinu:  the 
spring  the  weather  became  milder  and  plans  were  formed 
for  an  escape  from  their  dreary  abode.  But  it  was  n(jt 
until  June  14  that  they  were  able  to  leave,  and  then  they 
were  obliged  to  go  in  two  open  boats,  as  the  ship  was  fast  in 
the  ice.  Barents,  who  had  been  ill  for  some  time,  died  on 
the  fifth  or  sixth  day  of  the  voyage.  After  enduring  great 
privations  twelve  of  the  crew  reached  Lapland  and  were 
taken  home  by  a  Dutch  vessel  which  stopped  there  on  its 
return  from  a  trading  voyage.  More  than  two  hundred 
and  seventy  years  later  the  house  which  Barents  and  his 
crew  had  occupied,  and  in  which  they  had  endured  such 
terrible  privations,  was  visited  by  a  Norwegian  trader 
named  Carlsen,  who  found  cooking  utensils,  tools,  books, 
a  flute,  and  numerous  other  articles,  apparently  just  as 
they  had  been  left  when  those  w^ho  had  used  them  so  long 
ago  departed  never  to  return. 

During  the  next  few  years  various  expeditions  sailed 


i»; 


PIONEER    VO  J  'A  GKS 


•15' 


to  the  tiortli,  hut  no  vahiahlc  results  were  secured.  In 
the  year  1607  Ilenry  Iludson  entered  the  H^l  of  Arctic 
explorers,  and  in  the  four  voyai^es  which  he  sailed  he 
made  discoveries  of  i;reat  importance.  'Die  first  of  these 
expeditions  was  sent  out  by  the  Muscovy  Company,  llis 
orders  were  to  "go  direct  to  tiie  North  Pole."  llis  ship 
was  small  and  his  crew  consisted  of  only  twelve  men  and 
a  boy.  lie  passed  alon;^  the  east  coast  of  (ireenland  and 
examined  the  coast  of  Spitzberi^en,  but  after  reaching  a 
latitude  of  about  Si'  his  i)rogress  was  checked  by  ice  and 
fog.  llis  stock  of  provisions  was  scanty,  and,  the  weather 
becoming  intensely  cold,  he  returned  home.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  sailed  again,  in  a  little  larger  vessel,  and 
hoped  to  find  a  northeast  passage;  but  heavy  fogs  and  an 
enormous  quantity  of  ice  prevented  him  from  reaching  a 
higher  latitude  than  75'.  Upon  this  voyage  he  found  the 
waters  teeming  with  whales  and  seals,  some  of  which  he 
hoped  to  capture,  and  with  the  proceeds  defray  the  ex- 
penses of  the  expedition.  In  this  he  was  as  unsuccessful 
as  he  was  in  the  main  object  of  liis  trip,  but  from  his 
discovery  very  extensive  and  profitable  fisheries  were 
afterward  developed.  The  next  year  Iludson  engaged 
in  the  service  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company.  llis 
report  of  this  voyage  indicates  that  he  followed  his  own 
inclinations  more  closely  than  he  did  the  course  which 
his  employers  expected  him  to  jnirsue.  For  though  he 
started  northeastward,  he  soon,  under  the  plea  that  the 
ice  was  impenetrable,  sailed  to  the  west.  Continuing  this 
course,  he  reached  the  bay  upon  the  shore  of  which  New 
York  city  now  stands,  and  discovered  the  magnificent 
river  which  bears  his  name.  In  the  spring  of  16 10 
Hudson  sailed  upon  what  proved  to  be  his  final  voyage. 


I 


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452 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


11  if' 


i<     i 


■^i  t: 


A  ship  of  fifty-five  tons,  called  the  Discovery,  was  fitted 
out  by  persons  who  believed  that  a  northeast  passage 
could  be  found,  and  who  chose.  Hudson  as  its  commander. 
He  visited  the  Orkney  and  Faroe  Islands,  passed  near 
Iceland,  and  reached  what  is  now  called  Resolution 
Island.  From  this  point  he  was  unable  to  proceed  to  the 
north.  Turning  toward  the  south,  he  came  to  the  great 
strait  which  has  received  his  name.  Progress  was  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  on  account  of  ice,  but  he  pressed 
onward  until  he  came  to  the  great  body  of  water  that  is 
now  known  as  Hudson  Bay.  This  appeared  to  him  to 
be  a  great  open  sea,  and  he  believed  it  was  a  part  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  He  sailed  for  a  long  distance  into  this 
great  bay,  but  the  woather  became  severe  and  it  was 
necessary  to  go  into  winter  quarters.  What  appeared  to 
be  a  suitable  place  was  found  upon  an  isbnd,  the  vessel 
Avas  brought  to  the  shore,  and  was  soon  fast  in  the  ice, 
and  preparations  were  made  for  spending  a  long  and 
dreary  season  at  this  inhospitable  retreat.  The  crew  were 
greatly  dissatisfied.  Their  means  of  protection  from  the 
cold  were  wholly  inadequate,  their  supplies  of  food  were 
very  scanty,  and  during  the  winter  they  endured  great 
hardships.  Hudson,  however,  seems  never  to  have  lost 
couraofe  or  wavered  in  his  determination  to  do  all  that 
was  within  his  power  to  bring  his  voyage  to  a  successful 
issue.  But  in  the  sj^ring,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to 
continue  the  exploration,  a  portion  of  the  crc\^  mutinied. 
Hudson,  his  son,  several  sailors  who  were  sick,  and  the 
carpenter,  who  refused  to  remain  with  the  mutineers,  were 
sent  adrift  in  an  open  boat  and  were  never  heard  of  again. 
A  careful  study  of  what  data  could  be  obtained  led  to 
a  belief  that  by  sailing  across  the  great  open  water  that 


,s  fitted 
passage 
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PIONEER    VOYAGES 


453 


Hudson  had  discovered  the  shore  of  China  could  be 
reached.  In  1612  Captain  Button  was  sent  out  by  Prince 
Henry  of  Wales  to  find  a  northwest  passage  and  proceed 
to  the  Asiatic  coast.  He  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Nel- 
son River,  where  at  a  later  date  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany established  its  first  station.  Hcru  he  was  obliged 
to  stay  until  spring,  when  he  continued  the  voyage  until 
he  reached  a  latitude  of  65°.  Then  he  turned  sor'hward, 
and  after  touching  at  Mansell  Islands  sailed  to  England. 
Although  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  it,  he  expressed  a 
firm  belief  in  the  existence  of  the  passage.  About  this 
time  various  other  expeditions  were  sent  out,  but  no  dis- 
coveries of  great  importance  were  made. 

In  1 61 6  William  Baffin  reached  and  explore  1  the  great 
body  of  water  which  has  received  his  name  and  which 
geographers  have  pronounced  "  the  most  magnificent  bay 
in  the  world."  He  passed  Lancaster  Sound,  into  which 
Pn.rry  sailed  some  two  hundred  years  afterward,  and  dis- 
covered Smith  Sound.  Hi?  reports  were  not  credited  at 
the  time ;  but  later  explorers  found  that  they  were  true, 
and  that  his  lunar  observations  had  been  taken  with  a 
remarkable  degree  of  skill. 

Several  other  expeditions  were  sent  out  at  brief  inter- 
vals, but  for  a  long  period  no  point  was  reached  as  far 
north  as  Bafiin  had  penetrated,  and  faith  in  the  existence 
of  a  northwest  passage  gradually  declined.  Then,  too, 
about  this  time  the  interest  of  explorers  was  turned  to- 
ward America,  which  became  the  objective  point  of  nu- 
merous voyages  for  the  discovery  of  new  regions  and  the 
establishment  of  colonies. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  career  Peter  the  Great  of 
Russia  formed  the  plan  of  sending  a  party  to  explore  the 


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454 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


northeastern  i)ortion  of  his  dominions  and  find  at  what 
point,  if  any,  the  continents  of  Asia  and  America  were 
separated  by  water.  Empress  Catherine  was  interested  in 
the  project,  and  after  the  death  of  the  Czar  carried  out  his 
wishes  in  this  respect.  An  expedition  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Vitus  Bering,  a  Dane  who  had  become 
a  trusted  officer  in  the  Russian  navy,  left  St.  Petersburg 
in  1725  and  proceeded  by  land  to  Ochotzk,  a  distance  of 
nearly  four  thousand  five  hundred  miles.  Here  two  ships 
were  built,  and  in  July,  1728,  the  party  sailed  toward  the 
northeast.  They  made  various  observations  along  the 
coast  of  Kamtschatka,  and  proceeded  to  latitude  67°  18', 
when,  finding  no  appearance  of  land  and  fearing  the 
rigors  of  the  rapidly  approaching  winter,  they  returned 
to  the  port  from  which  they  had  sailed.  Here  the  weary 
months  of  the  winter  were  passed.  The  effort  to  reach 
the  American  continent  was  then  repeated,  but  was  in 
vain. 

The  final  voyage  of  this  great  navigator  was  made  in 
1 74 1.  With  two  ships  he  left  a  harbor  i.i  Kamtschatka 
on  the  4th  of  June,  and  on  the  i8th  of  July  he  discovered 
the  continent  of  America.  The  captain  of  the  other  ship 
had  sighted  the  same  coast,  at  a  lower  latitude,  three  days 
before.  He  remained  in  the  vicinity  for  some  days,  lost 
several  men  who  went  on  shore,  and  then,  with  the 
remainder  of  his  crew,  returned  home.  Bering  made  an 
effort  to  proceed  to  a  higher  latitude,  but  was  driven  back 
by  a  violent  storm.  The  scurvy  broke  out  among  the 
crew,  and  it  was  decided  to  return  to  Kamtschatka,  but 
on  the  way  they  missed  their  course.  Several  of  the  crew 
had  died,  and  so  many  of  the  survivors  were  sick  that  it 
was  almost  impossible   to  manage  the  ship.     Fogs  and 


\ 


ir' 


PIONEER    VOYAGES  455 

gales  were  encountered,  and  they  were  in  almost  constant 
fear  of  being  \\recked.     In   November  they  were  driven 
upon  a  small  island,  which  received  the  name  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  expedition.     There  they  made  what  prep- 
arations they  could  and  went  into  \dnter  quarters.     On 
'C  8th  of  December  Bering,  who  had  been  ill  for  some 
iime,  passed  away.     The  discovery  r.nd  naming  of  Mount 
St.  Elias,  and  the  discovery  of  Bering  Strait,  which  proved 
that  Asia  and  America  were  not  connected  by  land,  were 
among  the  fruits  of  this  expedition,  in  which  one  of  the 
most  meritorious  of  the  great  Arctic  explorers  lost  his  life. 
This  was  followed  by  several  other  Russian  expeditions, 
some  by  sea  and  others  by  land,  by  which  considerable' 
additions  to  the  previous  knowledge  of  various  sciences 
were  made. 


1! 
I' 
If: 


!l; 


i 


' 


t:; 

M 


ft 
I  Ik 


Bk> 


«: 


H#'      t 


CHAPTER   XXVII 


INTEREST    RENEWED 


In  1743  interest  in  Arctic  exploration  was  revived  by 
an  offer  made  by  the  Biitish  Government  of  a  reward  of 
;^''20,ooo  for  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage  by 
way  of  Hudson  Strait.  Various  voyages  were  made,  but 
their  main  object  was  not  accompHshed  and  the  results 
were  very  meagre.  In  1776  the  government  removed  the 
restriction  as  to  the  route,  and  offered  the  reward  for 
the  discovery  of  "  any  northern  passage  "  navigable  for 
ships,  and  also  added  an  offer  of  ;^5,ooo  to  any  one  who 
would  penetrate  to  within  one  degree  of  the  North  Pole. 
Among  the  navigators  who  attempted  to  solve  the  great 
Arctic  problem  were  the  famous  Captain  Cook,  whose 
course  was  blocked  by  ice  in  latitude  70°  20',  and  Sir 
Alexander  Mackenzie,  who  discovered  the  great  river  that 
is  called  by  his  name.  W'illiam  Scoresby,  a  noted  whaler, 
while  on  a  cruise  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  in  1806, 
succeeded  in  working  his  way  through  the  ice  into  a 
great  open  sea  and  reaching  a  latitude  of  81°  30',  a  higher 
point  than  had  previously  been  attained. 

From  the  officers  and  crews  of  whaling  vessels  which 
returned  from  the  coast  of  Greenland  in  1816  and  181 7, 
the  British  naval  authorities  learned  that  the  sea  was 
then  unusually  clear  of  ice.  It  was  therefore  considered  a 
favorable  time  for  pushing  the  work  of  exploration ;  and 
in   18 1 8  an  expedition,  under   the  command  of   Captain 


INTEREST  RENE  WED 


457 


John  Ross  and  Lieutenant  William  Edward  Parry,  both 
of  whom  were  subsequently  knighted  for  their  services  in 
this  field  of  investigation,  was  sent  to  discover  the  North- 
west Passan;e.  The  two  vessels  with  which  thev  had 
been  furnished  sailed  in  April  and  arrived  at  the  Danish 
settlement  on  tlie  Whale  Islands  in  June.  Here  they 
learned  that  the  preceding  winter  had  been  unusually 
severe.  After  various  delays,  and  encountering  great 
dangers  from  the  ice,  they  reached  a  rugged  coast  upon 
which  they  landed  and  which  they  explored  for  quite  a 
distance.  Proceeding  on  their  voyage,  they  followed  to 
a  considerable  extent  the  course  which  Baffin  had  pur- 
sued. Various  sounds  that  he  had  described  were  passed ; 
but  as  appearances  indicated  that  they  were  either  bays 
or  else  were  impassable  on  account  of  ice,  no  effort  was 
made  to  explore  them.  On  the  30th  of  August  they 
reached  one  of  these  inlets  which  was  bordered  by 
majestic  mountains  and  which,  being  free  from  ice,  it  was 
resolved  to  explore.  This  proved  to  be  Lancaster  vSound. 
For  some  thirty  miles  the  course  was  unobstructed,  and 
the  officers  and  crews  were  hopeful  and  almost  confident 
that  full  success  was  soon  to  crown  their  arduous  and 
perilous  undertaking.  After  proceeding  a  little  farther 
they  found,  much  to  their  disappointment,  the  appearance 
of  a  mountain  range  direcdy  across  their  course.  The 
weather  was  threatening,  and  Captain  Ross  hastily  gave 
orders  to  return  to  the  bay.  When  this  was  reached  the 
western  coast  was  followed  for  some  distance,  and  then 
the  expedition  returned  to  England,  arriving  there  safely 
in  October. 

This  failure  to  discover  the  passage  for  which  so  many 
other  navigators  had  searched  in  vain  strongly  tended  to 


1 1 

\  i 


■H 


f  ' 


I' 


f;| 


f: 


ml 

i-  11 

I'm 

K 

I 

lilt 


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ii  J 


458 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


confirm  the  opinion  tliat  Baffin  had  formed,  and  many 
others  had  accepted,  that  from  Lancaster  Sound  tliere 
was  no  entrance  to  a  sea  lying  to  the  west.  From  this 
view  Lieutenant  Parry  dissented,  claiming  that  this  expe- 
dition, like  others  which  had  preceded  it,  "  had  been 
relinquished  just  at  a  time  when  there  was  the  greatest 
chance  of  success."  After  a  careful  investigation  of  the 
causes  which  led  Ross  to  return,  the  government  directed 
Parry  to  make  another  voyage.  In  accordance  with  this 
commission  he  sailed  from  England,  with  two  ships,  in 
May,  18 1 9. 

The  ships  were  provisioned  for  two  years,  and  were 
well  supplied  with  whatever  was  supposed  to  be  needed  in 
such  a  voyage.  The  instructions  under  which  he  sailed 
required  the  commander  to  make  as  thorough  an  explora- 
tion as  possible  of  Lancaster  Sound,  and,  in  case  that  was 
found  to  be  impenetrable,  to  enter  other  inlets,  if  open 
ones  were  found.  A  direct  voyage  to  Lancaster  Sound 
was  attempted,  but  when  latitude  73°  was  reached  vast 
masses  of  ice  were  encountered.  For  some  ten  days 
navigation  was  extremely  difficult,  and  many  times  the 
ships  narrowly  escaped  being  wrecked.  On  the  25th  of 
June  an  open  way  appeared,  and  the  voyage  was  con- 
tinued with  but  little  difficulty  till  on  the  30th  of  July 
the  southern  entrance  to  Lancaster  Sound  was  reached. 
This  was  about  four  weeks  earlier  in  the  season  than  the 
expedition  of  the  previous  year  had  come  to  this  point. 
On  the  following  day  the  crew  went  on  land  and  found 
a  flagstaff  that  had  been  set  the  year  before. 

The  ships  then  passed  up  the  sound,  and  officers  and 
crews  watched  with  great  anxiety  for  evidence  that 
should  determine  whether  the  mountains  which  Ross  had 


in  ill 


INTEREST  RENE  WED 


459 


rs  and 
that 
s  had 


claimed  to  see,  and  to  which  he  had  given  tlie  name  of 
Croker  Range,  really  existed,  or  were,  as  Farry  firmly  be- 
lieved, only  imaginary.  The  point  at  which  the  range 
had  been  located  was  jDassed  without  obstruction  and  was 
found  to  be  a  splendid  bay.  Continuing  tlieir  voyage 
along  the  wide  inlet,  which,  in  honor  of  Sir  John  Barrow, 
one  of  the  principal  promoters  of  the  expedition,  was 
named  Barrow  Strait,  the  party  became  confident  that 
their  course  would  lead  them  to  an  open  sea.  They 
were  soon  disappointed  by  coming  to  an  island  from 
which  a  body  of  ice  extended  to  the  northern  shore.  For 
some  time  the  compass  had  been  losing  its  sensitiveness, 
and  at  length  it  became  entirely  useless.  By  this  it  was 
known  that  they  were  near  the  magnetic  pole ;  but  the 
time  in  which  Arctic  exploration  could  be  continued  was 
so  brief  that  it  was  not  considered  wise  to  delay  in  order 
to  take  exact  observations.  Varying  their  course  to  avoid 
the  ice,  and  pressing  forward  with  what  speed  they  were 
able,  they  came,  on  the  2 2d  of  August,  to  a  strait  some 
eight  leagues  in  width,  that  seemed  to  be  free  from  ice, 
which  was  named  Wellington  Channel,  but  which,  for 
want  (.^  time,  was  not  explored.  On  September  4  the 
meridian  of  110°  west  longitude  was  crossed,  and  Parry 
announced  to  his  crews  that  they  were  then  entitled  to 
the  reward  of  ^5,000  which  had  been  offered  to  subjects 
of  his  Majesty  who  should  first  reach  that  meridian  within 
the  Arctic  Circle.  Tn  honor  of  the  event  a  point  of  land 
on  Melville  Island,  ne^r  by,  was  named  Bounty  Cape. 

The  weather  was  growing  severe,  the  nights  were  dark, 
and,  as  the  compass  was  useless,  progress  was  slow  and 
difficult.  Still,  it  was  hoped  that  exploration  could  be 
continued   for   some   weeks.     But   only   four  days   after 


^1 


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EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


ii.> 


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I'll 


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crossing  the  meridian  wliich  they  had  been  so  anxious  to 
reach,  their  course  was  completely  blocked  by  solid  ice. 
After  waiting  about  a  fortnight  in  hope  that  the  barrier 
could  be  penetrated,  they  became  convinced,  not  only  that 
further  progress  was  impossible,  but  also  that  to  remain 
where  they  were  involved  great  and  immediate  danger 
that  the  ships  would  become  fast  in  the  ice.  It  was 
therefore  decided  to  return  as  far  as  Melville  Island  and 
attempt  to  enter  one  of  the  two  good  harbors  which 
had  been  observed  as  they  passed  a  few  weeks  before. 
Considerable  difficulty  was  experienced  in  reaching  the 
vicinity  of  the  western  harbor,  which  seemed  to  offer 
a  safer  retreat  than  the  other,  and  then  it  was  found 
necessary  to  cut  a  channel  more  than  two  miles  in  length 
and  wide  enough  to  admit  the  passage  of  the  ships, 
through  ice  that  averaged  seven  inches  in  thickness. 
This  difficult  task  accomplished,  the  ships  were  brought, 
on  the  26th  of  September,  to  a  safe  anchorage,  in  five 
fathoms  of  water,  at  a  point  near  the  beach.  Here  they 
were  destined  to  remain  until  August  of  the  following 
year. 

For  a  few  weeks  some  game  was  secured  by  hunting 
parties ;  but  as  the  weather  became  more  severe,  the  ani- 
mals that  were  suitable  for  food  migrated,  and  only  foxes 
and  wolves  remained  on  the  island.  Before  the  close  of 
October  the  mercury  sank  to  24°  below  zero,  and  it  be- 
came necessary  to  spend  most  of  the  time  on  board  the 
ships.  In  order  to  keep  his  men  cheerful,  and  help  while 
away  the  long  and  dreary  period  which  he  knew  must 
elapse  before  they  could  leave  the  spot  upon  which  they 
were  practically  imprisoned.  Parry  organized  a  theatrical 
party  v^^hich  gave  a  performance  every  two  weeks  during 


:ious  to 
•lid  ice. 

barrier 
ily  that 

remain 
dan(j:er 

It  was 
nd  and 
.  which 

before, 
ng  the 
o  offer 
;  found 

length 
i  ships, 
ickness. 
rought, 

in  five 
re  they 
llowing 

umting 
he  ani- 
y  foxes 
:lose  of 
it  be- 
ard the 
')  while 
V  must 
;h  they 
satrical 
during 


INTEREST  RENE  WED 


461 


the  long  night  of  three  months  that  set  in  at  the  time 
this  unique  place  of  amusement  was  opened.  A  weekly 
newspaper  was  established,  and  served,  in  some  measure 
at  least,  to  take  the  attention  of  the  men  from  their  un- 
pleasant surroundings  and  keep  their  minds  active  and 
interested.  By  these  diversions,  and  by  the  regular  exer- 
cise on  the  decks  of  the  ships,  which  was  rccjuired  by  the 
commander,  the  health  of  the  men  was  well  maintained. 
During  January  it  became  very  cold,  the  thermometer 
registering  from  30^  to  40"  below  zero  a  large  part  of  the 
month.  I'^ebruary  brought  still  severer  cold,  55 '  below 
zero  being  indicated  on  the  i6th,  but  it  also  brought  the 
sun.  March  rave  a  little  relief,  but  it  was  not  until 
the  last  of  April  that  there  was  a  rapid  rise  in  tempera- 
ture. With  the  increased  warmth  birds  and  quadrupeds 
returned  from  the  south,  and  hunting  expeditions  were 
made  with  tlie  double  purpose  of  giving  the  men  exercise 
and  of  mcreasing  the  food  supply. 

During  the  first  half  of  May  the  ice  was  cut,  and  on 
the  1 7 th  of  that  month  the  ships  were  once  more  afloat, 
but  until  the  2d  of  August  they  remained  locked  in  the 
harbor  by  the  great  body  of  ice  that  lay  between  them 
and  the  open  water.  When  it  became  evident  that  con- 
siderable time  must  elapse  before  their  voyage  could  be 
resumed.  Parry  and  a  party  of  his  men  made  a  partial  ex- 
ploration of  Melville  Island.  On  most  of  the  area  the  soil 
was  barren,  but  the  western  coast  had  some  vegetation 
and  a  greater  abundance  of  game.  Not  only  were  moss, 
grass,  saxifrage,  and  dwarf  willows  found,  but  one  of  the 
party  was  surprised  and  delighted  by  securing  a  ranuncu- 
lus in  full  flower.  In  June  the  snow  thawed  rapidly  and 
walking   became  very  difficult.     The    ravines,  too,  were 


i 


' 


46a 


EARfJER   ARCTIC  EXriORA  riOXS 


■  t 


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u. 


Itl: 


i  i 

1 1 


filled  with  torrents  of  water,  which  made  them  both  dilli- 
ciilt  and  dangerous  to  cross. 

On  the  2d  of  August  the  body  of  ice  by  which  the 
ships  had  for  so  long  a  time  been  imprisoned  broke  up 
and  floated  away.  The  voyage  was  resumed  ;  but  on  the 
15th  of  the  month,  when  the  southwestern  extremity  of 
the  island  had  been  reached,  an  impassable  barrier  of  ice 
was  found.  Careful  observation,  from  a  high  jDoint  of 
land,  led  to  the  belief  that  there  was  no  possibility  of 
advancing  in  that  direction,  and  a  search  for  a  passage 
farther  to  the  south  was  decided  upon.  'I'his  |jroved  un- 
successful, and  the  expedition  returned  to  England.  In 
this  voyage  Parry  had  reached  a  sjjot  more  than  thirty  de- 
grees of  west  longitude  beyond  the  extreme  point  touched 
by  any  of  his  predecessors. 

At  the  time  the  expedition  commanded  by  Ross  was 
sent  out  to  discover  a  northwest  passage,  another,  under 
Captain  Buchan  and  Lieutenant,  afterward  Sir  John 
Franklin,  was  fitted  out  to  discover  the  North  Pole.  Two 
ships  were  provided,  and  instructions  were  given  to  })ro- 
ceed  into  the  Spitzbcrgen  seas,  and,  passing  between 
Spitzbergen  and  Greenland,  push  directly  for  the  Pole. 
The  weather  was  bad  and  the  ships  were  soon  separated, 
but  early  in  June  they  met  at  an  appointed  place  off 
Spitzbergen.  Learning  from  the  officers  of  whaling  ves- 
sels that  the  sea  to  the  west  was  filled  with  ice,  Ca}3tain 
Buchan  sailed  to  the  north  ;  but  before  passing  the  north- 
western point  of  Spitzbergen  the  ships  became  fast  in  the 
ice,  and  for  thirteen  days  they  were  can  _d  to  the  south  at 
the  rate  of  about  three  miles  per  day.  After  getting  free 
they  made  another  attempt  to  proceed,  but  early  in  July 
they  were  again  imprisoned  in  the  ice.     Here  they  were 


a-; 

t 


!■  ,\ 


INTEREST  RENEWED 


4^'3 


diffl- 


)ss  was 
,  under 
John 
Two 
()  pro- 
ctwecn 
Pole, 
a rated, 
ice   (jff 
lu;  ves- 
aptain 
north- 
in  the 
)uth  at 
ig:  free 
n  July 
y  were 


detained  for  three  weeks.  I-'urther  efforts  to  pass  north- 
ward appearing;' to  be  useless,  it  was  decided  to  give  up 
the  attempt  and  endeavor  to  pass  along  the  eastern  coast 
of  Greenland.  They  were  soon  overtaken  by  a  violent 
gale;  and  as  one  of  the  ships  was  badly  injured,  it  became 
necessary  to  proceed  to  l'\air  Haven  for  repairs.  When 
these  were  made  the  ships  startetl  on  tiieir  homeward  voy- 
age and  reached  the   Thames  on  the  2  2d  of  October. 

In  order  to  increase  the  chances  of  success  in  the  effort 
to  learn  the  real  condition  of  the  northern  polar  regions, 
a  party  was  sent  out  by  the  British  Government,  in  1S19, 
to  pass  overland  and  survey  the  nortliern  coast  of  the  con- 
tinent from  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River  to  Bering 
Strait.  This  j)arty  consisted  of  five  persons  :  Sir  John 
Franklin,  wlu)  was  appointed  commander;  Dr.  Richard- 
son, a  naval  surgeon  ;  George  Hack  and  Robert  Hood, 
midshipmen  ;  and  John  Hepburn,  a  seaman.  They  left 
England  in  May  and  after  a  perihnis  voyage  reached  Y<;rk 
Factory,  a  station  on  Hudson  Bay,  August  30.  Here 
they  were  delayed  about  ten  days  in  making  necessary 
preparations  for  a  continuance  of  their  trip.  Following 
rivers  and  lakes  as  much  as  possible,  but  in  many  jDlaces 
finding  their  course  impeded  by  rocks  or  rapids,  they 
reached  another  station  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company, 
called  Cumberland  House,  on  tlie  2 2d  of  October,  hav- 
ing traversed  a  distance  of  about  seven  hundred  miles. 

Notwithstanding:  the  lateness  of  the  season  and  the 
increasing  intensity  of  the  cold,  Franklin  felt  that  a  part 
of  the  company  ought  to  proceed  to  one  of  the  stations 
on  Athabasca  Lake,  or  perhaps  even  farther  north,  where, 
he  had  been  informed,  guides  and  interpreters  could  be 
secured.     It  was  arranged  that  Franklin,  with  two  of  the 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Sciences 
Corporation 


33  .VEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEASTER.N.Y.  14580 

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464 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


party,  should  go  on,  and  that  the  other  two  members 
should  remain  where  they  were  until  s})ring.  Accord- 
ingly, Franklin,  accompanied  by  Back  and  Hepburn, 
started  on  the  18th  of  January  and  arrived  at  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan,  a  station  at  the  northwestern  shore  of  Athabasca 
Lake,  near  the  end  of  March.  This  point  was  about 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  one  at  which  they 
had  left  the  remainder  of  their  party.  The  journey  was 
tedious  and  dangerous.  While  walking,  they  were  obliged 
to  wear  snow-shoes.  These  weighed  two  or  three  pounds 
each  and  made  the  wearer  feel  that  he  was  drafjgini]:  "  a 
galling  and  stubborn  weight  at  his  feet."  The  cold  was 
intense ;  but  as  the  mercury  froze  in  the  bulbs  of  the  ther- 
mometers, its  degree  could  not  be  measured.  The  diffi- 
culties of  the  situation  were  increased  by  a  scarcity  of 
provisions,  and  terrible  suffering  was  experienced  before 
the  destination  of  the  party  was  reached. 

At  Fort  Chipewyan  Franklin  and  his  companions  re- 
mained until  July,  when  they  were  joined  by  Hood  and 
Dr.  Richardson,  who  had  been  left  at  Cumberland  House. 
Other  stations  had  been  communicated  with,  and  nearly 
twenty  Indians  and  Canadian  boatmen  had  been  engaged 
to  assist  in  the  expedition.  A  little  after  the  i_iiddle  of 
July  the  party  started,  in  hope  of  reaching  the  mouth  of 
the  Coppermine  River  before  going  into  winter  quarters. 
But  the  orreatest  exertions  were  unavailing: ;  and  on  reach- 
ing  a  point  some  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Fort 
Chipewyan  they  selected  a  spot  on  the  bank  of  a  frozen 
river,  where  they  erected  a  hut  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  Fort  Enterprise.  Here  the  party  killed  a  large 
number  of  reindeer  and  prepared  for  future  use  the  meat 
that  was  not  required  for  immediate  consumption.     Two 


I . 


INTERES2'  RENEWED 


465 


large 


trips  were  made,  one  in  a  canoe  and  the  other,  by  l''rank- 
lin  and  Dr.  Richardson,  on  land,  in  order  to  determine 
the  distance  to  the  Coppermine  River.  This  proved  to 
be  about  eighty  miles.  Both  parties  returned  in  safety, 
but  they  had  endured  great  suffering  from  cold  and  want 
of  food. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  a  sufificient  quantity  of 
game  could  not  be  obtained  to  supply  the  company  with 
food  during  the  long  winter  that  was  then  setting  in,  and 
Back  proposed  to  lead  a  company  to  some  of  the  stations 
that  had  been  passed,  even  to  Fort  Chipewyan  if  neces- 
sary, and  hasten  the  delivery  of  provisions  that  had  been 
sent  up  from  Cumberland  House.  This  journey,  which 
was  marked  by  exti-eme  privations  and  attended  by  great 
dangers  of  various  kinds,  occupied,  with  the  return  trip, 
nearly  five  months.  During  this  time  Back  had  walked 
more  than  eleven  hundred  miles.  The  winter  was  exceed- 
ingly cold,  and  at  one  time  the  thermometer  indicated  57° 
below  zero.  Even  the  trees  were  frozen  throuijh,  and  in 
trying  to  cut  them  nearly  all  the  axes  were  broken.  In 
December  the  food  supplies  got  very  low,  and  great  anxi- 
ety was  felt  on  this  account ;  but  about  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary a  quantity  of  provisions  sufificient  for  more  than  two 
months  was  received  from  one  of  the  other  stations.  With 
the  opening  of  spring  reindeer  appeared,  and  danger  from 
starvation  was  passed  for  a  few  months,  at  least. 

As  the  weather  grew  milder,  preparations  for  the  on- 
ward journey  were  begun.  Before  the  camp  was  broken 
arrangements  were  made  with  an  Indian  chief,  who  had 
been  with  them  for  some  time,  to  bring  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions to  the  fort  before  September,  in  order  that,  if  they 
returned  that  way,  they  would  not  be  in  want  of  food  for 
30 


w 


'H 


If  • 


f:. 


i 


Hi  f 

jfrn 


|i  ' 


'' 


B 


7     I 

li: 


1 1  llr 


r 


III! 


m 


Ml 
J 


HI' 

I''.'' 


466 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


the  next  winter.  Early  in  June  the  first  jxirty,  led  by  Dr. 
Richardson,  started.  On  the  14th  of  the  month  iM-anklin 
and  the  remainder  of  tlie  force  left  the  fort,  taking  with 
them  three  canoes,  which  were  drawn  over  the  snow  and 
ice  by  men  and  dogs.  Travelling  was  difificult  and  provi- 
sions were  scanty.  Several  of  the  men  became  lame,  and 
in  order  to  lii^lUen  the  load  one  of  the  canoes  was  left 
on  the  way.  Franklin  and  some  of  his  companions  fell 
through  tlie  ice  and  narrowly  csca})ed  being  drowned. 
On  the  I  St  of  July  the  Coppermine  River  was  reached 
and  the  canoes  were  launched  upon  its  n'aters.  Naviga- 
tion was  difficult  and  perilous;  but  on  the  i.Sth  of  the 
month  the  mouth  of  the  river  was  reached,  and  a  great 
polar  sea  stretched  out  before  them.  On  the  way  they 
had  secured  some  salmon,  and  also  killed  sexeral  musk 
oxen,  but  even  with  these  additions  their  stock  of  provi- 
sions was  small.  The  distance  travelled  from  Fort  Ep<"er- 
prise  to  this  point  was  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles. 
For  more  than  one  third  of  this  distance  it  had  been  ne- 
cessary to  drag  the  canoes  and  baggage  over  the  snow  and 
ice.  Yet  after  all  the  time  they  had  spent,  the  sufferings 
they  had  endured,  and  the  dangers  they  had  encountered, 
they  had  only  reached  what,  when  the  main  purpose  of 
the  work  was  considered,  was  the  real  starting-point  of  the 
expedition. 

After  a  brief  stop  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  the  party  of 
twenty  men,  in  two  canoes  and  with  provisions  for  only 
fifteen  days,  started  toward  the  east.  For  four  days  they 
kept  near  the  coast.  This  had  considerable  vegetation, 
and  the  water  was  comparatively  free  from  ice.  They 
then  came  to  a  rugged  point  which  they  doubled.  In  a 
short  time  they  were  hemmed  in  by  the  ice,  in  which  they 


I 


IXTEREST  REXE  WED 


4^' 7 


by  Dr. 

'ranklin 
nor  with 
low  and 
cl  provi- 
.mc,  and 
was  left 
ions  fell 
Irowned. 
reached 
Naviga- 
h  of  the 
[  a  f^reat 
^vay  they 
ral  musk 
of  provi- 
)i-t  Ep<"er- 
:)ur  miles. 
3cen  ne- 
now  and 
ufferings 
lountered, 
rpose  of 
int  of  the 

party  of 
for  only 
days  they 
-cjretation, 
They 
3d.  In  a 
hich  they 


were  detained  for  several  days.  Some  of  the  men  went 
on  shore  and  succeeded  in  killing  ^  few  deer  to  eke  out 
their  scanty  supply  of  provisions.  As  soon  as  possible  the 
voyage  was  renewed.  Cape  Katcr  was  rounded,  and  the 
canoes  passed  into  the  open  sound.  An  exploring  party 
was  sent  on  shore,  in  hope  that  an  Eskimo  \illage  coukl 
be  found ;  but  the  spot  was  too  barren  to  be  inhabited 
even  by  the  hardy  natives  of  the  polar  regions. 

Passing  along  the  coast,  they  came,  on  the  loth  of  Au- 
gust, to  open  water,  which,  to  tlieir  great  disaj)pointment, 
they  found  was  only  a  large  bay.  This  was  named  after 
Lord  Melville.  They  were  still  far  from  Repulse  Hay, 
which  they  had  hoped  to  reach.  Their  canoes  were  in 
bad  condition,  their  stt)ck  of  provisions  was  almost  ex- 
hausted, but  little  game  could  be  secured,  and  the  ra])id 
approach  of  the  terrible  Arctic  winter  was  heralded  by 
unmistakable  tokens.  A  long  distance  had  been  travelled, 
but  the  route  was  circuitous  and  the  extreme  })oint  reached 
was  in  latitude  68°  30'.  A  headland  on  the  shore  of  the 
bay  was  named  Point  Turnagain.  Here  the  effort  to  con- 
tinue explorations  was  abandoned,  and  it  was  decided  to 
return  to  Fort  Enterprise. 

The  lateness  of  the  season  made  it  impossible  to  return 
by  the  way  they  came.  In  order  to  shorten  the  distance 
and  diminish  the  danger,  it  was  thought  best  to  }3ass  for 
some  distance  up  Hood's  River,  which  they  had  recently 
discovered,  and  then  proceed  overland  in  as  direct  a 
course  as  possible.  They  halted  at  a  magnificent  cataract, 
which  they  named  Wilberforce  Falls.  This  point  was 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Fort  Enterprise. 
Here,  in  order  that  they  might  be  more  easily  carried,  two 
small  canoes  were  made  from  the  larger  ones  which  they 


468 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


!      -' 

I  1      ,..! 

'  •• 

■:    %^ 

:'  fi; 

(ri' 

ii«  I 


il: 


,!  !          1 

M :     ^  I' 

1  |f 

ilii' 

Hi^^ 

had  used  thus  far.  Other  preparations  for  the  overland 
trip  were  completed,  and  on  the  ist  of  September  the 
party  set  out  on  what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
terrible  journeys  of  which  there  is  either  record  or  tradi- 
tion. 

The  party  had  proceeded  only  about  twelve  miles  when 
they  were  overtaken  by  a  heavy  snow-storm  and  compelled 
to  halt  for  two  days.  They  covered  themselves  with  their 
blankets,  but  could  obtain  neither  fuel  nor  food.  When 
the  storm  abated  they  renewed  their  journey,  which  was 
rendered  still  more  difificult  by  the  snow  which  had  just 
fallen.  The  boatmen  comjilained  of  the  labor  of  carry- 
ing the  canoes,  and,  after  a  time,  either  through  accident 
or  design,  allowed  one  of  them  to  be  broken  by  a  fall. 
As  it  was  injured  beyond  repair,  this  canoe  was  used  for 
fuel.  Intense  suffering  made  these  men  utterly  reckless. 
In  spite  of  all  that  the  leaders  could  sa)-,  they  abandoned 
the  other  canoe,  and  even  threw  away  their  fishing-lines. 
For  three  weeks  the  party  made  what  progress  they  could 
through  a  most  desolate  region.  They  not  only  suffered 
from  cold  and  weariness  and  weakness,  but  most  of  the 
time  they  were  on  the  verge  of  starvation.  For  days  at  a 
time  they  had  no  food  except  a  nauseous  and  almost  indi- 
gestible species  of  lichen,  and  they  were  even  reduced  to 
the  extremity  of  eating  their  old  shoes.  At  length  they 
reached  the  Coppermine  River,  but  it  was  several  days 
before  they  could  construct  a  raft  upon  which  they  were 
able  to  cross.  As  some  of  the  men  were  too  weak  and  ill 
to  proceed,  the  party  was  compelled  to  divide.  Several  of 
the  boatmen  perished  from  hunger  and  exposure,  and 
Hood  was  murdered  by  one  of  the  Indians. 

Back  was  the  first  to  reach  the  fort.     Instead  of  find- 


IXTEREST  RENEWED 


469 


verland 
ber  the 
ic  most 
)r  tradi- 

2S  when 
m  pulled 
ith  their 

When 
lich  was 
had  just 
jf  carry- 
accident 
)y  a  fall, 
used  for 
reckless. 
)andoned 
ing-lines. 
ey  could 
suffered 
■it  of  the 
days  at  a 
ost  indi- 
duced  to 
gth  they 
2ral  days 
hey  were 
ik  and  ill 

cveral  of 
,ure,  and 

of  find- 


ing a  supply  of  provisions,  as  had  been  promised,  the 
building  was  empty.  Leaving  a  note  stating  that  he  had 
gone  in  search  of  the  Indians  who  had  been  depended 
upon  to  furnish  supplies,  he  continued  his  toilsome  jour- 
ney. Franklin  and  five  comj. anions  reached  tlie  desolate 
fort  on  the  i  ith  of  October,  and  nearly  three  weeks  later 
Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn  arrived.  Old  skins,  bones, 
and  lichens  were  used  for  food  until  the  7th  of  November, 
when  some  Indians,  who  had  been  sent  by  Back,  brought 
a  quantity  of  provisions.  About  a  week  later  the  journey 
was  resumed.  Fort  Chipewyan  was  reached  in  safety,  and 
here  the  party  reniained  until  the  following  June.  The 
next  month  they  reached  York  Factory,  and  the  difficul- 
ties and  dangers  of  their  most  remarkable  journey  were  at 
an  end. 

The  fact  that  Parry  had  failed  to  discover  the  North- 
west Passage  was  not  regarded  as  proof  that  it  did  not 
exist.  Neither  did  it  diminish  confidence  in  the  zeal  or 
the  competence  of  the  commander  himself.  So  when  he 
expressed  an  opinion  that  by  commencing  explorations  at 
a  low^er  latitude  the  desired  opening  could  be  found,  the 
government  placed  him  in  command  of  another  expedi- 
tion. 

In  May,  1821,  with  two  ships  and  a  transport  loaded 
with  provisions  and  other  necessities.  Parry  again  set  sail 
from  England.  The  entrance  to  Hudson  Strait  was 
reached  early  in  July.  At  this  point  the  transport  was 
unloaded  and  sent  home.  Strong  currents  were  soon 
encountered,  and  the  ships  narrowly  escaped  destruction 
by  enormous  icebergs.  In  September  Repulse  Bay  was 
reached,  and  found  to  be  clear  of  ice.  Leaving  the  bay. 
Parry  proceeded,  in  accordance  with,  his  instructions,,  to 


I 


^1     ; 


vw 


ir  P 


; 


: 


(•    , 


in 
.1 


|i: 


lu 


'#}■ 


li, 


'!     '"l 

.'  M 

.  1 ;       1 

■       1 

1      ' 

1 
1 

i       !         .  f 
1                I'. 

'.is; 
..,11 1 

1       ' 

i  m 

i 

1 1 

il 


470 


HARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLO RATIONS 


explore  the  coast  line.  This  work  was  continued,  under 
many  difficulties,  until  it  became  imperative  to  seek 
winter  quarters.  T'nese  were  found  on  the  shore  of  a 
small  island,  and  the  ships  were  soon  fast  in  ice.  Here 
Parry  adopted  the  same  means  for  keeping  his  men  cheer- 
ful and  contented  that  had  been  tried  on  his  previous 
voyage,  and  with  an  equal  degree  of  success.  A  party  of 
Eskimos  living  near  by  made  frequent  trips  to  the  vessels, 
and  the  officers  also  visited  the  snow  huts  of  these  peculiar 
people. 

It  was  not  till  the  8th  of  July  that  the  expedition  was 
able  to  proceed,  and  even  then  it  was  necessary  to  do  a 
great  amount  of  work  in  getting  the  ships  out  of  the  ice. 
A  little  more  than  a  week  later  they  approached  an 
elevated  region  which  they  hoped  would  prove  to  be  the 
northern  shore  of  the  strait ;  but  when  its  entrance  was 
reached  they  were  greatly  disappointed  to  find  an  impass- 
able barrier  of  ice.  After  waiting  nearly  four  weeks 
in  hope  that  an  openin  -  would  be  made,  it  was  decided 
to  take  observations  on  i. '  .  A  party  proceeded  to  the 
northern  point  of  the  penin..".ila  near  which  their  progress 
by  water  had  been  checked,  and  discovered  a  strait  in 
which  there  was  a  strong  current  and  considerable  loose 
ice.  Returning  to  the  ship,  an  effort  was  made  to  reach 
this  strait,  but  it  proved  unsuccessful.  In  this  neighbor- 
hood another  winter  was  spent,  and  the  ships  were  not 
again  afloat  until  past  the  middle  of  August.  Several  of 
the  crew  had  become  ill,  and  Parry  reluctantly  sailed  for 
England. 

Soon  after  reaching  home  Parry  had  a  dangerous  ill- 
ness ;  but  in  1824  he  was  ready  to  take  up  his  work  again, 
and  was  sent  out,  with  the  two  ships  used  on  the  voyage 


•m* 


INTEREST  RENEWED 


47' 


ecI,  under 
to  seek 
lore  of  a 
e.  Here 
en  cheer- 
previous 
L  party  of 
e  vessels, 
;  peculiar 

ition  was 
J  to  do  a 
f  the  ice. 
iched  an 
to  be  the 
ance  was 
11  impass- 
ir  weeks 
>  decided 
d  to  the 

progress 

strait  in 
ble  loose 

to  reach 
leighbor- 
«'ere  not 

everal  of 
ailed  for 

2rous  ill- 
rk  again, 
e  voyage 


just  described,  to  explore  Prince  Regent's  Inlet,  in  hope 
that  it  would  lead  to  an  open  sea.  The  expedition  left 
England  in  May,  and,  after  encountering  luany  danger  , 
arrived  late  in  September  at  the  point  where  they  had 
been  comiDelled  to  halt  in  iSiq.  Near  here  a  harbor, 
which  was  named  Port  Bowen,  was  found,  and  Parry 
made  preparations  to  pass  his  fourth  winter  in  the  Arctic 
regions.  It  was  a  dreary  season,  and  in  some  respects 
proved  even  more  tedious  than  any  of  its  jjredecessors. 
On  the  iSth  of  July  the  ships  were  again  free  and  the 
voyage  was  resumed.  In  a  short  time  large  bodies  of  ice 
were  encountered,  and  one  of  the  ships  was  so  badly  in- 
jured that  it  had  to  be  abandoned.  The  crew  was  taken 
on  board  the  other  ship,  which  at  once  returned  to  I'^ng- 
land. 

Three  other  expeditions  were  sent  from  England  at 
about  the  time  that  Parry  started  for  Prince  Regent's 
Inlet.  Of  these,  one  was  commanded  by  Captain  Lyon, 
who  was  instructed  to  make  a  more  thorough  survey  than 
had  yet  been  attempted  of  the  coast  as  far  as  Point  Turn- 
again.  Another  was  led  by  Eranklin,  with  orders  to  pass 
down  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  sea,  and  then  proceed 
along  the  coast  to  Bering  Strait.  The  other  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Beechey,  who  was  to  pass  around 
Cape  Horn,  proceed  to  Bering  Strait,  and  continue  his 
voyage  to  Kotzebue  Sound,  where  he  was  to  meet  the 
expedition  led  by  Franklin.  The  results  of  this  combined 
effort  were  very  meagre.  Captain  Lyon  was  overtaken 
by  storms  and  encountered  vast  drifts  of  ice,  and  when 
some  eighty  miles  distant  from  Repulse  Bay  was  obliged 
to  give  up  the  enterprise.  Franklin  and  his  party  passed 
the  winter  at  Great  Bear  Lake.     In  the  spring  they  sailed 


*( 


Wf 


IM 


t 


'U 


;  1 


h  s 


472 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  KXPJ.ORATJONS 


I 


i! 


t 


KJ 
*. 

'*>, 


I 

VI 

!i^. 

i 

■  { 

1' 

■    1 

vi' 

^        ■: 

L. 

;1 

1 

down  the  Mackenzie  River  to  the  point  where  it  separates 
into  different  channels.  The  party  then  divided.  One 
detaciinient,  under  Ur.  Richardson,  passed  to  the  east, 
in  order  to  explore  the  coast  as  far  as  the  Coppermine 
River.  The  other,  led  by  Franklin,  went  to  the  west,  in 
hope  of  reaching  Icy  Cape  and  meeting  Captain  Beechey. 
The  former  party  accomplished  its  purpose  with  but  little 
difficulty,  and,  returning,  reached  their  winter  quarters  on 
the  ist  of  September.  They  saw  a  large  number  of  birds 
of  various  kinds,  and  at  one  point  were  greatly  annoyed 
by  mosquitoes. 

Franklin  and  his  party  had  a  much  severer  experience. 
Unfriendly  Eskimos  made  them  much  trouble,  and  they 
were  delayed  by  fogs  and  storms.  By  the  middle  of 
August  the  cold  had  become  severe  and  the  men  were 
suffering  greatly  from  weariness  and  exposure.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  that  they  at  once  return  to  the  house 
at  Great  Bear  Lake.  The  extreme  point  reached  was 
named  Return  Reef.  It  was  afterward  learned  that  Cap- 
tain Beechey  was  then  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
away.  The  second  winter  was  passed  at  the  lake.  It 
proved  very  severe.  At  one  time  the  temperature  was 
58°  below  zero.  With  the  approach  of  mild  weather  the 
party  returned  to  England.  During  the  summer  the  ship 
under  Captain  Beechey  reached  the  appointed  place  and 
remained  as  long  as  the  weather  would  permit ;  but  as  they 
had  already  returned  to  England,  no  trace  of  Franklin 
and  his  companions  could  be  found. 

Although  he  had  been  repeatedly  bafiled  in  his  Arctic 
expeditions,  Parry  was  not  discouraged.  Scoresby  had 
suggested  that  by  constructing  boats  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  could  also  be  used  as  sledges,  it  might  be  possi- 


INTER KST  REXE II  ED 


473 


n  were 
It  was 
house 
sd  was 
Cap- 
miles 
It 


l)lc  to  reach  the  Pole  by  passing  over  the  ice.  Parry 
accepted  this  idea  and  presented  it  to  the  attention  of  the 
government  officers.  It  met  their  ap|)roval  and  was 
l)romi)tly  put  into  execution.  Two  boats  were  built;  and 
with  the  Hccla,  one  of  the  ships  which  he  had  previously 
commanded,  Parry  set  out  on  his  fourth  expedition. 

In  1827  the  ship  was  sailed  to  the  north  coast  of  Spit/.- 
bergen,  where  it  was  left  in  a  safe  harbor.  On  the  2 2d 
of  June  the  men  took  to  the  boats.  Three  days  later 
they  reached  the  ice,  but  it  proved  to  be  very  rough  and 
was  intersected  by  numerous  channels.  Progress  was 
extremely  slow  and  toilsome.  Rains  were  frequent  and 
there  were  heavy  falls  of  snow.  Dense  fogs  caused  many 
delays.  At  length,  finding  that  they  were  being  carried 
south  by  the  drifting  of  the  ice  in  the  water,  faster  than 
they  were  proceeding  north  on  its  surface,  it  was  decided 
to  return  to  the  ship.  This  was  only  one  hundred  and 
seventy- two  miles  distant,  although  they  had  actually 
travelled  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  miles.  The  most 
northern  point  reached  was  82°  45',  which,  so  far  as  was 
certainly  known,  was  the  highest  latitude  that  had  then 
been  reached  by  man. 

In  1829  Sir  John  Ross,  whose  voyage  in  18 18  had 
been  so  barren  of  results  and  had  brought  upon  himself 
not  a  little  adverse  criticism,  proceeded  to  the  polar  re- 
gions in  a  small  s'  ^amship  that  had  been  placed  at  his 
disposal  for  this  p^  pose  by  his  friend  Sir  Felix  Booth. 
This  ship,  named  the  Victory,  was  commanded  by  James 
Clark  Ross,  a  nephew  of  Sir  John.  It  was  the  first 
steamer  ever  used  in  Arctic  exploration.  Lancaster 
Sound  was  reached  in  August.  The  voyage  was  con- 
tinued to  what  is  known  as  the  Gulf  of  Boothia.     Here 


n 


J  ii : 


1  , 


Wf 


Kt 


I  !l 


474 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


.1  sheltered  position  was  found,  which  was  named  I'V'lix 
Harbor,  wliere  winter  quarters  were  taken.  When  spring 
opened,  various  land  journeys  were  made.  Not  until 
September  did  the  ship  get  afloat,  and  it  had  proceeded 
only  about  three  miles  when  it  again  became  entangled 
in  the  ice.  Here  it  remained  until  the  following  Au- 
gust. On  the  2Sth  of  the  month  the  ship  was  again  free. 
i3ut  the  wind  soon  arose,  the  weather  suddenly  became 
cold,  and  when  they  had  sailed  only  four  miles  they  were 
once  more  firmly  surrounded  by  ice.  Here  they  remained 
till  the  s])ring,  when,  on  account  of  the  failing  health  of 
the  men,  the  small  quantity  of  provisions  on  hand,  and  the 
great  uncertainty  as  to  when  a  free  passage  through  the 
ice  could  be  found,  it  was  resolved  to  abandon  the  ship. 

After  a  wearisome  and  dangerous  journey  the  party 
reached  the  spot  where  the  Fury  had  been  wrecked  in 
Parry's  third  voyage.  Here  they  found  a  quantity  of 
provisions  that  had  been  saved  from  the  ship,  and  here 
they  passed  a  most  miserable  winter.  There  was  great 
suffering  from  cold  and  illness,  and  several  of  the  men 
died.  Harly  in  the  summer  of  1833  the  survivors  re- 
sumed their  journey.  About  the  middle  of  August  open 
water  was  reached,  and  the  party  took  to  their  boats. 
Twelve  days  later  two  ships  were  sighted.  On  one  of 
these  their  signals  of  distress  were  observed.  This  ship 
proved  to  be  the  Isabella,  which  Ross  himself  had  once 
commanded.  The  weary  explorers  were  taken  on  board 
and  given  every  possible  means  of  comfort.  On  the  i8th 
of  October  the  rescued  party,  all  of  whom  had  long 
before  been  given  up  for  dead,  arrived  at  England.  The 
principal  result  of  this  expedition  was  the  reaching  and 
determining  of  the  exact  location  of  the  North  Magnetic 


;-! 


INTEREST  KEXE  WEI) 


475 


eel   l''clix 
Ml  spring 
lot    until 
rocccdcd 
n  tangled 
^ing  Au- 
gain  free. 
J  became 
hey  were 
remained 
health  of 
1,  and  the 
ough   the 
le  ship, 
the  party 
recked  in 
lantity  of 
and  here 
vas  great 
the  men 
vivors  re- 
list open 
eir  boats, 
n  one  of 
his  ship 
lad  once 
on  board 
the  1 8th 
lad    long 
d.     The 
hing  and 
Magnetic 


n 


Pole.     This  was  accomplished  by  James   Ross,  in   April, 

As  year  after  year  passed  and  no  tidings  from  Ross 
were  received  in  I'^ngland,  great  anxiety  was  fell  for  his 
safety.  A  fund  was  raised  in  order  to  fit  out  an  expedi- 
tion to  search  for  him,  and,  if  he  could  be  found,  give  him 
needed  relief.  The  government  aided  the  movement ; 
and  Hack,  who  had  accompanied  Franklin  to  the  north 
and  had  since  been  promoted  capt.iin,  was  placed  in 
command.  In  I'^ebruary,  1833,  he  sailed  from  I^ngland. 
With  his  party  he  reached  Fort  Chipewyan  on  the  29th 
of  July,  and  about  a  fortnight  later  arrived  ut  a  station  on 
Great  Slave  Lake.  Here  two  parties  were  formed  to 
explore  the  region,  in  hope  of  finding  a  navigable  river 
upon  which  the  journey  could  be  continued.  On  the 
approach  of  cold  weather  they  returned  to  the  lake, 
where  a  house,  which  they  named  Fort  Reliance,  was 
built,  and  where  they  passed  the  winter. 

The  season  proved  to  be  terribly  severe.  On  the  1 7th 
of  January  the  thermometer  registered  70"  below  zero. 
Food  was  scanty  and  it  was  impossible  to  secure  fish  or 
game  at  that  time.  A  large  number  of  Indians  flocked 
to  the  house  ;  and  thousxh  a  little  food  was  distributed 
among  them,  many  perished  from  hunger.  On  the  25th 
of  April  the  party  were  greatly  cheered  by  the  arrival  of  a 
messenger  with  the  news  that  Ross  had  reached  England 
in  safety.  This  left  them  free  to  make  further  explora- 
tions, which  was,  indeed,  a  secondary  object  of  the  expe- 
dition. On  the  7th  of  June  the  house  was  closed,  and 
the  party  proceeded  to  the  Great  Fish  River,  which  ha^ 
since  been  named  after  Back,  of  which  they  made  a  care- 
ful examination.     After  an  absence  of  about  four  months 


! 


476 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


t 


II 


I.I. 


t 


'    11. 


m  I 


they  returned  to  Fort  Reliance,  where  tliey  passed 
another  winter.  In  the  following  March  the  homeward 
trip  was  commenced,  and  in  September  the  party  arrived 
in  England. 

In  1836  the  British  Government  equipped  another  ex- 
pedition to  continue  the  exploration  of  some  of  the  coast 
lines  that  had  been  partially  surveyed.  Back  was  placed 
in  command  of  the  ship  Terror,  on  which  he  sailed  in 
June.  The  party  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  They 
hoped  to  winter  in  Repulse  Bay ;  but  before  reaching  that 
point  they  encountered  a  violent  storm,  by  which  they 
were  driven  back  for  quite  a  distance,  and  ere  long  the 
ship  was  caught  in  a  mass  of  ice.  Much  of  the  time 
they  were  driven  by  the  wind,  or  carried  by  the  current, 
with  the  great  body  of  ice  in  which  they  were  wedged  as 
in  an  enormous  vise,  and  they  were  often  in  imminent 
danger  of  destruction. 

The  ship  did  not  get  free  until  nearly  the  middle  of 
July.  It  had  been  seriously  damaged,  and  an  immediate 
return  to  England  was  the  only  course  that  could  be 
adopted.  The  trip  was  made  with  all  possible  speed, 
but  the  ship  was  in  a  sinking  condition  when  port  was 
reached.  Although  the  expedition  had  failed,  it  was  not 
from  want  of  skill  or  effort.  This  fact  was  fully  recog- 
nized, and  soon  after  reaching  home  Back  was  knighted. 
The  survey  which  he  was  unable  to  make  was  completed 
the  following  year  by  Dease  and  Simpson,  who  were  sent 
out  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  who  made  exten- 
sive explorations  of  the  coast  of  Boothia  and  Victoria 
Land. 


it 


ii: 


I  i: 


f 


^m 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 


IIEKOIC    ENDEAVORS 


The  next  expedition  to  the  Arctic  seas  left  England  on 
the  26th  of  Way,  1845.  The  government  had  fitted  out 
two  ships,  the  Erebus  and  the  Terror,  in  the  best  possi- 
ble manner,  and  also  provided  a  transport,  w  ith  a  cargo  of 
food  supplies  and  general  stores,  to  accompany  them  as 
far  as  Uavis  Strait.  The  Erebus  was  commanded  by  Sir 
John  Franklin,  w^ho  was  chief  ofihcer  of  the  expedition, 
and  the  Terror,  by  Captain  Richard  Crozier.  The  com- 
bined crews  numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  men. 
The  object  of  this  expedition,  as  defined  by  the  govern- 
ment officers,  was  "  the  accomplishment  of  a  northwest 
passage  by  sea  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean," 
and  very  minute  instructions  were  given  as  to  the  course 
which  was  to  be  pursued.  The  ships  and  transport 
arrived  safely  at  Davis  Strait.  Here  the  latter  was  un- 
loaded and  at  once  returned  to  England.  The  two  ships 
then  went  on  their  way.  On  the  26th  of  July,  1845,  they 
were  seen  by  a  whaling  vessel  named  the  Prince  of 
Wales.  They  were  then  near  the  middle  of  Bafifin  Bay, 
waiting  for  an  opening  in  the  ice,  which  had  blocked  their 
way.  From  that  time  they  were  seen  by  white  men  no 
more. 

It  was  expected  that  about  two  years  would  pass  after 
the  ice  fields  wore  reached  before  word  could  be  received 
from  the  explorers.     When  this  period  had  elapsed  and 


f  if^r^ 


478 


EARLJER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


mm 


i  ■»!■ 


\A^ 


M  'If 


!     i 


\ 

1    i 

'I 

i 
'    1 

f 

ii^r 

1 

h 

"t^; 

■'! 

• 

11 

' 

nothing  was  heard  from  the  party,  their  friends  in  Eng- 
land be^an  to  fear  that  some  disaster  had  befallen  the 
expedition.  As  weeks  and  months  went  by,  leaving  the 
silence  unbroken,  the  feeling  of  apprehension  deepened. 
In  1848  the  British  Government  sent  out  three  expedi- 
tions in  search  of  the  missing  exi)lorers.  Of  these,  one 
was  to  attemi)t  to  reach  the  Polar  Sea  by  way  of  Bering 
Strait,  one  was  to  pass  down  the  Mackenzie  River  to 
the  sea  and  then  follow  the  coast  to  the  Coppermine 
River,  while  the  other  was  directed  to  }xiss  through  Lan- 
caster Sound  and  Barrow  Strait.  Two  ships  were  fitted 
out  for  the  expedition  first  named.  They  were  the 
Herald  TxwA  the  Plover,  under  Cajjtain  Ilenry  Kellett  and 
Commander  Thomas  E.  L.  Moore.  The  second  was  led 
by  Dr.,  now  Sir  John  Richardson,  who  was  accompanied  by 
Dr.  John  Rae,  who  had  already  won  fame  as  an  explorer 
in  the  service  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com})any.  The  third 
was  under  Sir  James  Clark  Ross  and  Captain  E.  J.  Bird, 
with  two  large  ships  named  the  Ejiierprisc  2i\\A  \\\ii  Investi- 
gator. Full  directions  were  given  to  each  of  these  parties; 
and  as  all  points  that  Franklin  was  at  all  likely  to  reach 
were  to  be  visited,  it  was  hoped  and  believed  that  this 
united  effort  would  speedily  be  crowned  with  success.  The 
expeditions  made  some  valuable  additions  to  the  know- 
ledge of  the  regions  which  they  visited,  but  as  far  as  their 
principal  object  was  concerned  they  were  utter  failures. 

In  1849  the  British  Government  offered  a  reward  of 
;^ 20,000  to  private  persons,  of  any  nationality,  who  should 
discover  and  rescue  the  missing  explorers.  This,  together 
with  a  deep  interest  in  the  fate  of  Franklin,  led  to  the 
formation  of  numerous  parties  to  prosecute  the  search. 
Lady  Franklin  also  provided  means  for  sending  men  and 


««^ 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


479 


IIKNKV    (JKl.NNKLI. 


vessels  to  aid  in  tlie  work.  In  1S50  there  were  at  least 
twelve  ships,  besides  boat  and  sledge  parties,  engaged  in 
the  enterprise. 

Among  the  expeditions  was  one  from  the  United 
States.  This  was  mainly  fitted  out  by  Henry  Grinnell,  a 
New  York  merchant,  but  it  was  under  (government  con- 
trol.  It  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  I)e  Haven,  who 
had  seen  service  in  an  exploring  expedition  in  the  Ant- 
arctic regions.  Two  ships,  the  Advance  and  the  Rescue, 
were  furnished.  They  left  New  York  on  the  24th  of 
May,  1850.  The  plan  proposed  was  i'  'iceed  to  Mel- 
ville Island,  pass  the  winter  wherever  !.oy  were  caught 
in  the  ice,  and  then  follow  whatever  course  should  seem 
most  likely  to  lead  to  success. 


rrrr 


K! 


[11  i  ii  M' 


in 
,    itCn 


1       '^'    S  :'{3 


;      .V. 


I  :, 


;■    ^i' 


i 


1-r 


1 

■<■'  :|1 

;    \  i 

■Ml 

i  IP 

i 

1 

1     M^ 

L 

1U< 

480 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


The  ships  of  several  of  these  expeditions  came  near 
each  other  in  Baffin  Bay.  At  this  point  they  were  long 
delayed  and  were  often  in  extreme  peril  from  enormous 
masses  of  floating  ice.  Some  of  the  best  ships  spent  five 
weeks  in  sailing  northward  only  thirty  miles.  When  the 
course  became  more  open  the  ships  parted  company, 
going  in  different  directions  in  order  to  make  the  search 
as  thorough  as  possible. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1850,  the  first  trace  of  the 
missing  party  was  found.  This  was  at  Cape  Riley,  where 
the  crew  of  a  boat  from  the  British  ship  Assistance 
landed.  Several  articles  were  found  which  had  evidently 
belonged  to  Europeans,  but  they  could  not  be  identified 
with  the  Franklin  party.  This  was  followed  by  a  trip  to 
Beechey  Island,  about  three  miles  distant.  Here  was 
discovered  the  spot  where  Franklin  spent  the  winter  of 
1845-46.  The  graves  of  three  men  who  had  died  during 
that  season  were  also  found.  These  were  marked  by  oak 
boards  upon  which  the  names  and  ages  of  the  deceased 
had  been  inscribed.  Careful  search  was  made  by  parties 
from  three  of  the  vessels  which  were  near  the  island,  but 
nothing:  could  be  found  to  indicate  in  what  direction 
Franklin  intended  to  proceed  when  he  left  the  camp.  It 
was  ascertained,  however,  that  during  the  winter  his  ships 
had  been  fast  in  the  ice  a  little  south  of  Beechey  Island. 

About  the  middle  of  September  the  vessels  engaged  in 
the  search  were  ice-bound,  and  the  work  was  necessarily 
suspended.  When  spring  opened  sledging  expeditions 
were  formed  to  prosecute  the  search  on  land.  Twelve 
parties  were  organized.  One  of  these,  under  Lieutenant 
McClintock,  travelled  seven  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
The  others  covered  lesser  distances.     Great  suffering  was 


e  near 
e  long 
DrmoLis 
mt  five 
len  the 
mpany, 
searcli 

of   the 
,  where 
sistance 
/iclently 
entified 
trip  to 
n"e    was 
inter  of 
during 
by  oak 
eceased 
parties 
md,  but 
irection 
np.      It 
is  ships 

and. 
iged  in 
essarily 
ditions 
Twelve 
.itenant 
miles. 


ng  was 


% 


HEROIC  EXDEA  VORS 


481 


experienced  from  cold  and  fatigue,  and  one  of  the  men 
died  from  exiiaustion.  One  of  the  j^artics  reached  the 
spot  where  Parry  had  encamped  in  1S20,  and  anotiier  dis- 
co\ered  a  wide  strait  of  o|)en  water,  which  was  named 
Victoria  Channel,  but  no  trace  of  I'ranklin  or  his  men 
was  found. 

y\lthough  the  numerous  exjieditions  which  had  been 
sent  out  were  utter  failures  as  far  as  the  accomi)lishmcnt 
of  their  main  purpose  was  concerned,  some  very  imjjor- 
tant  results  in  other  lines  were  secured.  Ihe  most  notice- 
able of  these  was  the  discovery  by  Cajitain,  afterward 
Sir  Robert  McClure,  commander  of  the  British  ship  In- 
vestigator, of  the  Northwest  Passage.  This  great  event 
occurred  on  the  26th  of  (October,  1850.  \'ear  after  year 
expeditions  followed  the  ones  which  have  been  named. 
Several  ships  were  lost.  Ileroic  efforts  were  made  by 
officers  and  men,  and  terrible  sufferings  were  endured, 
but  the  mystery  regarding  the  fate  of  Pranklin  was  not 
dispelled. 

In  1S53  Mr.  Cirinnell,  aided  by  several  individuals  and 
organizations,  fitted  out  his  second  expedition  to  the 
Arctic  regions.  The  shij),  which  was  named  the  Ad- 
vance, was  commanded  by  Dr.  P^lisha  Kent  Kane,  who 
had  accompanied  Lieutenant  l)e  Haven  in  the  first  (irin- 
nell  expedition.  With  eighteen  men  he  sailed  froni  New 
York  on  the  30th  of  May,  intending  to  pass  as  far  north 
as  possible  in  Baffin  Bay,  and  thence  proceed,  with  sledges 
and  boats,  on  land  and  water  in  such  direction  as  should 
give  the  greatest  hope  of  success.  After  reaching  Mel- 
ville Bay  there  was  great  difficulty  and  danger  on  ac- 
count of  fogs  and  ice.  At  Littleton  Island  a  quantity 
of  provisions  were  stored,  to  be  used,  in  case  of  necessity, 
31 


fT 


I 

{jii 
"      *!, 


I, 


if: 
fit 

sij 

tT 


1 


'^ 


i  I 


48  2 


]-:.\Rr.lF.R   AKCTfC  KXrr.ORATIOXS 


on  the  return  trip.  Altli()u<;h  tlie  ret^ion  was  dreary  and 
desolate  in  the  extreme,  aljundant  evidences  were  found 
that  it  had  once  been  the  seat  of  an  I'^skinio  settlement. 

As  winter  approached,  the  shi|)  was  brought  to  a 
sheltered  place,  which  was  named  \'an  Rensselaer  1  larbor, 
where  it  became  fast  in  \\mi  ice  on  the  loth  of  Sei)teniber. 
Sledging  parties  were  sent  out  for  the  double  jjurpose  of 
establishing  dej)ots  for  i)rovisions  and  for  making  explora- 
tions. This  work  could  not  be  continued  after  the  2()th 
of  November,  as  the  sun  then  passed  below  the  horizon 
to  remain  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  days.  'I'he  winter 
was  extremely  severe.  The  temperature  was  often  40", 
and  at  one  time  dropped  to  75",  below  zero.  Most  of  the 
dogs,  of  which  a  large  number  had  been  procured  for 
sledging  j)urposes,  died  from  brain  disease  caused  by  the 
depressing  influences  of  intense  cold  and  continuous  dark- 
ness. Many  of  the  men  suffered  severely  from  scurvy, 
and  the  others  were  greatly  debilitated  by  their  close  con- 
finement and  the  hardships  which  they  had  endured. 

On  the  return  of  the  sun,  sledging  parties  were  formed 
and  the  work  of  exploration  was  resumed.  These  jour- 
neys proved  extremely  difficult.  Two  of  the  men  died  as 
the  result  of  exposure  and  privations,  and  Kane  had  an 
illness  that  for  several  days  seemed  likely  to  })rove  fatal. 
A  latitude  of  82°  27'  was  reached,  and  a  coast  line  was 
mapped  which  extended  nine  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 
To  complete  this  work  involved  not  less  than  two  thou- 
sand miles  of  walking  and  sledge  travel.  Among  the  dis- 
coveries  which  were  made  were  a  maiinificcnt  column  of 
greenstone,  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high,  rising  on 
a  pedestal  which  itself  towered  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet    above    the    ground,    which    was    called    Tennyson's 


«w*- 


,ry  and 
foiiiul 
lent. 
L  to  :i 
I  arbor, 
.cm  her. 
pose  of 
•.\j)lora- 

IC    2()lh 

hori/.on 
winter 
en   40", 
of  tlie 
red   for 
1))'  tlie 
IS  dark- 
scurvy, 
ISC  con- 
d. 

formed 
e  jour- 
died  as 
Iliad  an 
c  fatal, 
ne  was 
miles. 
)  thou- 
he  dis- 
imm  of 
ino-  on 
eighty 
ly  son's 


iriiRoic  I'.Nnr.A  i  oa's 


4S.? 


^'l^^^mmMmMm^: 


m  V'',r,iiK'''-//j/W 


DK.    1;.    K.    KANK 


Monument;  and  an  enormous  wall  of  ice,  three  huiidred 
feet  in  hci<>ht,  which  was  named  the  Great  Glacier  of 
Humboldt.  The  ])arty  carried  its  explorations  to  Caj^c 
Constitution,  in  latitude  82"  27'.  A  lofty  peak  on  the 
opposite  coast  of  Grinnell  Land  was  named  Mount  lul- 
ward  Parry. 

At  this  time  the  summer  was  well  advanced,  but  there 
were  no  indications  that  the  ship  would  get  clear  of  the 
ice.  The  stock  of  jDrovisions  was  small,  and  the  health  of 
the  party  had  become  greatly  impaired.     A  careful  con- 


w 


; 


m 


1.1 


'£■ 


Kt 


!(' 

!' 

h 

%  : 

'H, 

it* 

r 

il  i 

ivi 


I    ! 


!    i 


484 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


sidcration  of  the  subject  sliowcd  tliat  it  would  be  ex- 
tremely hazardous  to  attempt  to  pass  another  winter  in 
the  ship.  Therefore  Dr.  Kane  resolved  to  make  an  at- 
tempt to  communicate  with  some  English  ships,  belonging 
to  a  searching  expedition,  whicli  were  lying  off  Heechcy 
Island.  With  five  of  the  strongest  men  he  started  in  an 
open  boat,  but  a  terrible  storm  was  encountered,  and  in 
sjjite  of  their  most  earnest  efforts  to  force  a  j^assage,  the 
ice  presented  a  barrier  which  tliey  could  not  break 
through.  They  returned  to  the  ship,  intending  to  hoist 
signals  that  would  bring  to  their  aid  other  explorers,  if 
there  were  any  in  that  region. 

On  consulting  with  his  men,  Dr.  Kane  found  that  some 
of  them  believed  it  would  be  possible  to  escape  overland 
to  the  nearest  Danish  colony.  He  then  gave  each  and  all 
the  choice  of  making  such  an  attempt  or  of  remaining 
with  him  in  the  shij).  Nine  of  the  men  preferred  to  go. 
The  remainder,  more  wisely  as  it  proved,  decided  to  stay 
with  their  commander.  After  enduring  the  most  terrible 
sufferings,  those  who  had  left  found  their  way  back  to  the 
vessel. 

About  seventy-five  miles  distant  from  the  ship  was  an 
Eskimo  village.  The  inhabitants  were  friendly  to  the 
weather-bound  explorers.  For  a  time  communication  was 
kept  up,  and  some  food  supplies  were  obtained ;  but  with 
the  coming  of  continued  darkness,  and  a  great  scarcity  of 
meat  at  the  settlement,  this  source  of  relief  was  cut  off. 
By  March  all  the  men  were  suffering  from  scur\'y,  and 
more  than  half  of  the  number  w^ere  seriously  ill.  The 
supply  of  fuel  was  exhausted,  and  lamps  were  used  for 
both  light  and  heat.  Everything  in  the  ship  was  turned 
black  with  soot.     Two  of  the  men  became  desperate  and 


^ 


JIKROJC  ENDEAVORS 


4^5 


be   cx- 

inter  in 
an  at- 

lon^inu; 

Jccclicy 

:l  in  an 
and  in 

mc,  the 
break 

to  hoist 

Drcrs,  if 

at  some 

)verland 

and  all 

niainin<j: 

d  to  ffo. 

to  stay 

terrible 

V  to  the 

was  an 
to   the 

ion  was 

)iit  with 
city  of 
lit  off. 

vy,  and 
The 

sed  for 
turned 

ite  and 


attempted  to  desert.  One  of  these  was  successful,  but  he 
seems  to  have  repented,  as  lie  afterward  returned  with 
some  food  that  he  had  obtained  from  the  I'^skimos. 

liefore  sprinir  had  fairly  come,  pre[)arations  were  com- 
menced for  abandoning  the  ship.  The  three  boats  were 
repaired,  sledges  were  put  in  order,  and  a  supply  of  clotii- 
inu:  and  beddini;  was  uot  in  readiness  for  use.  On  the 
17th  of  May,  after  the  reading  of  j)rayers  and  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  flags  were  hoisted  and  hauled  down.  Then  the 
seventeen  survivors  of  the  i)arty,  four  of  whom  were  too 
ill  to  walk  alone,  started  to  cross  the  ice  and  water  which, 
for  thirteen  hundred  miles,  lay  between  them  and  the 
north  of  Greenland. 

For  nearly  a  week  the  })arty  was  able  to  proceed  only  a 
little  more  than  a  mile  per  day.  Karly  in  June  one  of  the 
men  met  with  an  accident  which,  a  few  days  later,  resulted 
in  his  death.  Various  Eskimo  settlements  were  visited, 
and  at  some  of  them  the  sujDply  of  provisions  was  replen- 
ished. On  many  occasions  it  was  necessary  to  halt  for 
rest.  Various  accidents  occurred,  and  difficulty  and  dan- 
ger were  the  constant  companions  of  the  weak  and  weary 
party.  At  length,  to  their  great  relief,  open  water  was 
reached,  and  on  the  19th  of  June  they  took  to  their  boats, 
one  of  which  was  soon  swamped.  It  was  a  fearful  voyage. 
Hunger,  cold,  weariness,  and  exposure  to  storms  brought 
terrible  sufferings.  After  being  in  the  open  air  of  an 
Arctic  climate  for  eighty-four  days,  the  party  reached  Up- 
ernavik,  the  seat  of  a  Danish  colony  on  an  island  off  the 
coast  of  Greenland.  Here  they  remained  until  the  6th  of 
September,  when  they  embarked  on  a  ship  bound  for  the 
Shetland  Islands.  But  at  Godhavn  an  American  expedi- 
tion that  had  come  out  to  search  for  them  was  seen,  and 


i; 


m 


hi 


I-  i 


t 


\i 


i  J 

1 
1 

1 

If 

\ 

i  -f 

(                J- 

I;. 

1 

1 

1     : 

l:-'ti 

1 

L 

iu' 

486 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


they  were  transferred  to  the  shijis  which  had  been  sent 
for  their  rehef.  In  October  they  were  safely  landed  at 
New  York.  Many  important  surveys  had  been  made  and 
much  valuable  information  concernin;^  tlie  Arctic  regions 
had  been  gained,  but  not  the  slightest  trace  of  iM-anklin 
had  been  found. 

The  Vm\r  absence  of  Dr.  Kane  caused  a  <jrreat  deal  of 
anxiety  in  the  United  States,  and  in  I'"ebruary,  1855,  the 
Secretary  of  tlie  Navy  was  authorized  by  Congress  to  send 
an  expedition  for  his  relief.  Two  ships,  tlie  Release  and 
the  .<4rf/?V,  were  ec|uij)ped  and  Lieutenant  Ilartstene  was 
placed  in  command,  liafifin  Hay  was  reached  in  due  time, 
and  a  careful  search  was  made  at  the  numerous  points 
where  it  seemed  possible  that  Kane  might  be  detained. 
All  efforts  to  find  the  missing  men  ])n)ving  fruitless,  the 
ships  were  turned  toward  the  south  and  i)roceeded  to 
Upernavik  and  thence  to  (iodhavn,  on  Disco  Island, 
where,  as  already  related,  the  exi)l()rers  were  found. 

Upon  his  return  home,  and  the  publication  of  his  report 
of  the  voyage.  Dr.  Kane  received  many  honors,  not  only 
from  his  countrymen  but  also  from  societies  and  individ- 
uals in  foreign  lands.  As  soon  as  possible  he  prepared  a 
complete  narrative  of  his  Arctic  explorations,  which  was 
published  in  book  form  and  made  him  famous  as  an 
author.  His  health,  which  had  never  been  firm,  had  suf- 
fered from  his  terrible  exposiuTs,  and,  before  his  book  was 
completed,  rapidly  failed,  in  hope  of  obtaining  relief  he 
sailed  to  Eneland  ;  but  his  strength  declined,  and  after  a 
brief  visit  he  started  for  home  by  way  of  Havana,  but  died 
in  that  city,  in  February,  1857,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
seven  years. 

The  numerous  maritime  expeditions  that  were  sent  out 


IIEKOJC  ENDI.Al  ONS 


4S7 


i\\  sent 
ulcd  at 
:iclc  and 
regions 
'ranklin 

deal  of 

"I55.  the 
to  send 
ase  and 
L'ne  was 
Lie  time, 
i  points 
etained. 
less,  the 
L'ded  to 
Island, 

s  report 
ot  only 
individ- 
pared  a 
ich  was 
as  an 
ad  suf- 
)k  was 
■lief  he 
after  a 
ut  died 
thirty- 

ent  out 


to  diseovcr  Franklin  were  supplemented  by  diligent  and 
extended  seareh  on  land.  Dr.  Kae,  who  had  not  only 
seen  a  great  deal  of  service,  but  had  won  popular  recogni- 
tion as  an  expert  in  this  field,  spent  several  years  in  this 
arduous  work.  In  1854  he  met  a  band  of  i'^skimos  who 
told  him  a])ont  a  jjarty  of  some  forty  men  who  had  starved 
to  death  at  a  ])lace  far  west  of  where  they  then  were. 
I'"()ur  winters  had  jxissed  since  this  sad  event  occurred. 
The  men  were  drawiny;  sledtifes  and  a  boat  over  the  ice. 
Their  lanLiuaiie  could  not  be  understood ;  but  from  siufns 
which  they  made  the  I'^skimos  believed  that  their  shii)s 
had  been  wrecked,  that  their  provisions  were  scanty,  and 
that  they  were  going  toward  the  south  in  hope  of  finding 
game  on  which  they  could  subsist.  Later  in  the  same 
year  several  graves  were  found,  and  also  the  bodies  of 
about  thirty  persons  which  had  not  been  buried.  These 
were  on  tlie  mainland.  On  an  island,  not  far  away,  five 
otlier  bodies  were  found.  Some  of  the  bodies  were  in 
tents,  some  on  the  open  ground,  and  others  under  a  boat 
that  had  been  placed  so  as  to  form  a  shelter  from  storms. 
Dr.  Rae  purchased  of  the  Eskimos  a  large  number  of  arti- 
cles that  had  belonged  to  the  party  and  that  completely 
identified  the  men  who  had  so  miserably  perished  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Franklin  expedition.  He  at  once  proceeded 
to  I^ngland,  and,  with  his  men,  received  the  reward  of 
^10,000  which  had  been  offered  to  those  who  first  should 
give  definite  information  regarding  the  fate  of  the  Frank- 
lin party. 

The  report  of  Dr.  Rae  caused  a  very  general  feeling  in 
England  that  no  member  of  the  Franklin  expedition  could 
be  livinfj,  and  the  British  Government  declined  to  risk 
more  lives  or   expend  more  money  for  a  further  search. 


fi  i 


rj 


;, 


488 


EAKIJEK   ARCTIC  KXI'J.ORATWNH 


Kl 


K 

II 

»•'• 

...1 

1    ■     ' 

1:  n 

ir 


'    I'M 

'Hi 

::  t    '! 

•  ■        ;            * 

'  1 

y 

1  i .     1 

:   ; 

*^t" 

■!' 

;v: 

; -^  ■       i 

"lit  ■ 

i  (l;i^ 

;  l!v 

•:    -.v.H 

1          , 

1^    1 .      i 

Lady  I''ranklin,  however,  witli  the  assistance  of  a  few 
friends,  fitted  out  a  vessel,  called  the  l'\).\\  of  which  the 
experienced  e.\i)l()rer  Captain  McCIintock  was  j)laced  in 
coniniand.  The  olficers  and  men  numbered  twenty-five 
The  ship  sailed  from  Scotland  in  July,  1S57,  was  caui;ht 
in  ice  in  Melville  Hay  on  the  i.Sth  of  August,  and  drifted 
until  late  in  April,  iS^S.  Heechey  Island  was  reached  on 
the  iith  of  August,  and  a  marble  tablet,  that  had  been 
sent  out  by  Lady  l*"ranklin,  was  erected  at  the  graves  of 
the  men  who  had  died  at  that  jilacc. 

The  second  winter  was  passed  in  a  haven  at  the  eastern 
entrance  of  Bellot  Strait.  Larly  in  the  si)ring  journeys 
were  made  to  establish  depots  of  j)rovisions.  Natives 
were  met  with  who  said  that  many  )'ear-  before  a  ship  had 
been  broken  uj)  by  the  ice,  that  the  crew  had  escaped,  had 
gone  toward  the  (ireat  ImsIi  River,  and  all  had  died  of 
starvation. 

On  the  2d  of  A])ril,  1S59,  the  spring  journey  com- 
menced. I-'rom  a  ])arty  of  natives  news  was  obtained  of 
a  second  shij3  that  had  drifted  on  shore,  and  several  relics 
were  purchased.  The  explorers  divided  into  two  parties, 
one  led  by  Lieutenant  Ilobson,  the  other  by  Captain 
McCIintock.  On  the  6th  of  May  Hobson  found  written 
records  of  the  I'^ranklin  expedition.  The  first  entry  was 
dated  the  2Sth  of  May,  1S47,  and  stated  that  the  ])arLy 
had  passed  up  Wellington  Channel  and  returned  by  the 
west  side  of  Cornwallis  Island,  thus  having  completed  the 
discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  of  which  they  had 
been  in  search.  They  were  then  in  winter  quarters  and 
all  were  w'ell.  The  second  entry,  dated  the  25th  of  April, 
1848,  states  that  Sir  John  Franklin  died  on  the  nth  of 
June,  1847,  that  eight  other  officers  and  fifteen  men  had 


I' 


lUiROJC  KNDEAIORS 


489 


corn- 
el of 
dies 
rties, 

tain 
•itten 
'  was 
)arLy 
y  the 
d  the 

had 

and 
'\pril, 
h  of 

liad 


DR.    ISAA(.    I.    II  AVIS 


died,  that  havinii^  Ix'en  fast  in  ice  since  the  I2tli  of  Sep- 
tember, 1S46,  the  ships  7:'n'<^w.?  and  Terror  w^xa  deserted 
on  the  22d  of  April,  1S4.S,  and  that  on  the  26th  of  April 
the  survivors  would  commence  a  journey  in  hope  of 
reaching  Hack's  (ireat  Tish  River. 

Lieutenant  Hobson  proceeded  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated, and  found  human  skeletons,  a  boat  nearly  buried  in 
the  snow,  watches,  books,  and  numerous  other  articles. 
Captain  McClintock  also  reached  the  boat.  In  connec- 
tion with  what  had  already  been  found,  these  discoveries 
confirmed  the  statements  of  Dr.  Rae,  and  pro\'ed  beyond 
doubt  that  after  leaving  the  sj^ot  where  the  records  were 
found  the  party  attempted  to  reach  the  Great  V\'A\  River, 


V\ 


\n 


I 


I 

if 


i 


I 


..a 


«: 


1    **• 


490 


RAKI.IKR   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


that  many  of  them  died  on  the  way,  that  some  started 
to  return  to  the  ship  and  lost  their  lives,  and  that  the 
remainder  reached  the  river,  but  w^^le  waiting  for  the  ice 
to  break  they  all  j^erished  of  exposure  and  starvation. 
Such  was  the  terrible  fate  of  the  first  discoverers  of  the 
Northwest  Passage,  which  had  been  sought  for  hundreds 
of  years. 

Dr.  Isaac  I.  Hayes,  who  went  out  as  surgeon  with  the 
second  Grinnell  expedition,  under  Dr.  Kane,  was  exceed- 
ingly anxious  to  prosecute  further  search  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  and  endeavored  to  secure  the  organization  of 
another  party,  and  obtain  a  suitable  ecjuipnient  for  that 
purpose.  But  the  public  had  come  to  believe  that  no 
results  could  be  obtained  that  would  be  of  sufficient  value 
to  justify  the  risks  of  life  and  prt)perty  that  another 
expedition  would  involve.  Yet  his  zeal  was  so  great,  and 
he  so  forcibly  ]Drcsented  his  views  in  lectures  which  he 
delivered  in  the  large  cities  01  the  United  States,  that 
considerable  interest  was  aroused  and  a  sufficient  sum  of 
money  was  secured  to  purchase  and  fit  out  a  vessel  for 
his  use. 

In  this  ship,  the  name  of  which  was  patriotically 
changed  from  the  Spring  Hill  to  the  United  States, 
Hayes  sailed  from  Boston  on  the  7th  of  July,  1S60. 
The  party,  all  told,  numbered  fifteen  persons.  The 
definite  objects  of  the  expedition  were  to  extend,  and  if 
possible  complete,  the  survey  of  the  northern  coast  of 
Greenland  and  Grinnell  Land,  and  continue  explorations 
in  the  direction  of  the  North  Pole.  The  Arctic  Circle 
was  reached  near  the  close  of  July,  and  the  entrance  to 
Smith  Sound  on  the  27th  of  August;  but  winds  were 
contrary  and  the  ship  was  driven  back  three  times  before 


■  H    ! 


HEROIC  ENDEA  VORS 


491 


started 
ha  I  the 
•  the  ice 
irvation. 
i  of  tlie 
undreds 

vith  the 

exceed- 

;  Arctic 

ition   of 

for  tliat 

that   no 

nt  value 

another 

eat,  and 

hich  lie 

es,  that 

sum  of 

ssel  for 

iotically 

States, 

i860. 

The 

and  if 

oast  of 

I  rations 

Circle 

mce  to 

s  were 

before 


it  was  possible  to  proceed  to  any  great  distance  in  the 
strait.  A  harbor,  which  was  named  Port  P'oulke,  was 
found  about  twenty  miles  south  of  where  Kane  wintered 
in  Rensselaer  Harbor. 

In  April,  with  twelve  of  his  strongest  men  and  a  num- 
ber of  dogs,  Hayes  started  on  a  sledge  journey,  intending 
to  cross  the  sound  to  Grinnell  Land.  Twenty-five  days 
of  ardous  toil  did  not  take  them  half  the  distance,  but  it 
utterly  disabled  several  of  the  men.  Unwilling  to  aban- 
don the  project  while  there  was  a  possibility  of  success, 
Hayes  sent  all  but  three  of  his  men  back  to  the  ship. 
The  returning  party  took  with  them  the  boat  that  had 
been  taken  in  hope  that  it  could  be  launched  on  an  open 
sea. 

With  his  three  companions,  two  sledges,  and  fourteen 
dogs,  the  resolute  leader  of  the  expedition  pressed  on,  and 
two  weeks  after  the  parties  separated  he  reached  the 
land.  An  exploring  trip  along  the  coast  was  commenced. 
In  less  than  a  week  one  of  the  men  became  utterly 
exhausted.  With  another  to  care  for  him,  he  was  left 
behind,  and  Hayes,  with  a  single  companion,  continued 
his  journey.  On  the  i8th  of  May  they  reached  Mount 
Parry.  Here  their  progress  was  checked  by  rotten  ice 
and  fissures  which  could  not  be  crossed  without  a  boat. 
Observations  were  taken  which  showed  that  they  were  in 
latitude  81°  35',  a  higher  point  than  any  previous  ex- 
plorer had  reached  on  land. 

The  return  journey  was  extremely  difficult,  but  the  ship 
was  reached  on  the  3d  of  June.  During  his  absence 
from  the  harbor  Hayes  had  travelled  thirteen  hundred 
miles.  In  July  the  vessel  was  free  from  ice.  Plans  had 
been  formed  to  sail  to  Grinnell  Sound,  in  order  to  make 


i  I- 

1    . 


*  if 


I' 


i 


I  i 


4-.f 


t 

i:, 
I. J 

* 

t<.k 

.u! 

( 

1  >» 

(•!» 

492 


I.ARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPJ. ORATIONS 


further  explorations,  but  it  was  found  that  such  injuries 
had  been  sustained  durin<»;  the  winter  that  the  vessel 
would  not  be  safe  anionti  iioatin<>:  masses  of  ice.  There- 
fore  the  party  returned  to  Boston.  Only  one  man  had 
been  lost,  and  his  death  was  due  to  an  accident. 

In  the  year  i860,  Charles  iM'ancis  Hall,  who  from  boy- 
hood had  been  deeply  interested  in  the  fate  of  Franklin, 
and  had  been  a  close  student  of  the  literature  pertain- 
ing to  the  Arctic  regions,  sailed  from  New  London, 
Connecticut,  in  a  whaling  vessel,  for  the  north.  A  boat 
which  had  been  si)ecially  fitted  for  his  use  was  taken 
along.  His  ])lan  was  to  stoj)  at  some  suitable  jjoint, 
organize  a  crew  of  Eskimos,  and  prosecute  a  search  for 
members  of  the  I'ranklin  expedition,  some  of  whom  he 
believed  had  reached  native  settlements  and  were  still 
living.  He  also  desired  to  survey  some  portions  of  the 
region  which  was  as  yet  unexjjlored.  Search  for  the 
Franklin  party  was  j^revented  by  the  loss  of  the  boat 
soon  after  his  arrival  ;  but  he  found  various  relics  of  the 
Frobisher  expedition,  and  learned  that  the  body  of  water 
which  for  nearly  three  centuries  had  been  known  as 
F"robisher  Strait  was  actually  a  bay.  In  September, 
1862,  he  reached  New  London  in  a  whaling  vessel. 
With  him  he  took  two  Eskimos,  or  Innuits,  Joe  and 
Hannah,  with  their  little  child.  The  latter  was  soon 
taken  ill  and  died. 

In  1864  Llall  sailed  again,  with  his  Innuit  companions, 
to  the  nortli.  He  had  acquired  considerable  knowledge 
of  the  Eskimo  language  and  customs.  His  plan  was  to 
live  with  these  people  two  or  three  years,  gain  their  confi- 
dence, and  then  secure  their  assistance  in  exploring  all 
the  region   in  which   survivors  of  the   F'ranklin   party,  if 


ieclge 
^vas  to 

confi- 
ng  all 

ty,  if 


IfEIWlC  RNni'..  tl'OA'S 


493 


^■^. 


l'!^- 


such  there  were,  would  l3c  at  all  likely  to  be  found.  This 
expedition  covered  a  period  of  five  years.  The  greatest 
efforts  were  made  to  learn  the  truth  retrardins;  the  missin<j[ 
explorers.  For  a  long  time  Hall  was  very  hopeful  of  find- 
ing some  of  them  alive,  but  at  length  he  was  forced  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  last  of  that  ill-fated  i^arty  had 
perished  several  years  before. 

In    1869    Hall   reached    home   and  was    received  with 


'■M 
13 


I 


w 


1 1 


I,  . 


Ml 


I 


494 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  KX  RIO  RATIONS 


great  lionors.  He  then  made  a  vigorous  effort  to  secure 
an  expedition  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  the  North 
Pole.  A  great  deal  of  interest  was  excited.  ConLrress 
made  an  approj)riation  for  the  purpose,  and  a  steamer 
named  the  Polaris  was  fitted  out.  Mall  was  a])j)ointe(l 
commander  of  the  expedition.  A  scientific  corjos,  to  take 
observations  in  accordance  with  instructions  from  the 
National  y\cadcmy  of  Sciences,  was  selected.  A  full 
complement  of  officers  was  chosen,  and  a  crew  of  fourteen 
men  was  secured.  Joe  and  Hannah,  the  Innuits  who  had 
previously  accompanied  Hall  and  had  rendered  him  in- 
valuable services,  were  also  members  of  this  ex])edition. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  3d  of  July,  1S71,  the  Polaris 
sailed  from  New  London,  Connecticut,  on  her  final  voy- 
age. Smith  Sound  was  reached  without  special  adven- 
ture. Passing  through  Kennedy  Channel,  the  vessel 
entered  what  Kane  had  supposed  was  an  open  sea,  but 
which  proved  to  be  only  a  small  body  of  water.  This 
received  the  name  of  Polaris  Bay.  ^"'arther  on  a  strait 
was  discovered  which,  in  honor  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Na\y  who  had  used  his  influence  in  aid  of  the  expedi- 
tion, was  named  Robeson  Channel.  In  this  strait  a 
latitude  of  82°  16'  was  reached  on  the  30th  of  August. 
This  was  the  highest  latitude  yet  reached.  It  was  fifty 
miles  beyond  the  farthest  point  touchea  by  Dr.  Hayes, 
and  nearly  two  hundred  miles  beyond  where  Dr.  Kane 
had  gone.  Here  progress  was  checked  by  ice,  and  for 
a  while  the  ship  was  carried  back  by  the  drift.  Hall  and 
some  of  his  men  were  anxious  to  make  further  efforts  to 
proceed,  but  some  of  the  subordinates  were  opposed  to 
this  course;  and  the  commander,  as  it  subsequently  ap- 
peared, unwisely  heeded  their  protests.     On  September  3 


i^flB^^Sk 


n;^ 


HEROIC   ENDEAVORS 


495 


IS  fifty 

Hayes, 
Kane 

|nd  for 
W  and 
ii-ts  to 

Ised  to 
:ly  ap- 
nber  3 


the  ship  was  j)ut  into  winter  quarters  in  Polaris  Bay,  in 
a  cove  to  which  Hall  gave  the  name  of  Thank  God 
1 1  arbor. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  Hall,  with  three  companions, 
started  on  a  sledge  journey  for  the  purpose  of  exploring 
the  adjoining  region  and  selecting  the  most  favorable 
route  for  the  expedition  to  the  Pole,  which  he  intended 
to  make  in  the  spring.  The  ordinary  difficulties  of 
travelling  in  that  region  were  encountered,  but  the  party 
returned  in  safety,  reaching  the  ship  on  the  24th  of  Octo- 
ber. They  had  attained  the  highest  latitude  yet  reached, 
and  discovered  a  channel  which  they  expected  to  utilize 
when  the  northward  journey  should  be  resumed.  Soon 
after  reaching  the  ship  Hall  was  taken  ill,  and  on  the  8th 
of  November  he  passed  away.  Thus  ended  the  life  of 
one  of  the  noblest  and  most  devoted  of  Arctic  explorers. 

It  was  rumored  that  Hall  had  been  poisoned,  but  a 
thorough  investigation  by  the  government  proved  that  he 
died  from  natural  causes.  His  body  was  buried  on  the 
shore  of  Polaris  Bay,  and  an  American  flag  was  placed 
over  his  grave. 

Captain  Buddington,  who  succeeded  to  the  command 
of  the  expedition,  had  little  desire  for  Arctic  explorations; 
and  though  some  short  journeys  were  made,  nothing  of 
importance  was  accomplished.  Toward  the  middle  of 
August  the  homeward  voyage  was  commenced.  After 
sailing  about  fifty  miles,  the  vessel  was  caught  in  the  ice 
and  narrowly  escaped  being  wrecked.  When  free,  the 
voyage  was  resumed,  but  in  a  short  time  a  field  of  float- 
ing ice  was  entered,  with  which  the  ship  drifted  for  a  long 
distance.  During  the  night  of  October  15  a  gale  drove 
the  ice    upon  her  in  such  a  manner  as  to  threaten    her 


h 


I 


III 


,,     .     .                            ; 

:          t-i' 

1'?: 
h 

EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

immediate  destruction.  The  captain  ordered  the  crew 
to  save  whatever  they  could.  Provisions,  clothing,  and 
various  other  materials  were  hurriedly  thrown  upon  the 
ice.  The  Mskimo  women  and  children  were  taken  off, 
and  several  of  the  men  left  the  vessel  to  move  the 
goods  to  as  safe  a  place  as  could  be  found.  Suddenly  the 
ship  broke  away  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  leav- 
ing nineteen  persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  adrift  on 
the  ice. 

Of  some  poles  and  lumber  which  had  been  thrown 
from  the  shij:),  the  party  on  the  ice  constructed  a  rude 
house  in  which  they  took  up  their  abode.  The  stock 
of  provisions  was  small,  and,  though  a  few  seals  and  an 
occasional  bear  were  captured,  the  party  were  constantly 
on  short  rations.  In  addition  to  the  weakness  caused  by 
insufficient  food,  they  suffered  terribly  from  the  depress- 
ing influence  of  severe  cold,  and  of  darkness,  which  lasted 
for  eighty-one  days.  Meanwhile  the  floe  upon  which 
they  were  encamped  was  raj^idly  drifting  toward  the 
south.  On  the  iith  of  March  it  was  broken  up  by  a 
terrific  gale.  This  left  the  castaways  upon  a  compara- 
tively small  piece  of  ice,  as  far  as  area  was  concerned,  but 
fortunately  it  was  of  considerable  thickness.  This,  how- 
ever, gradually  wasted  away ;  and  Captain  Tyson,  the 
leader  of  the  forlorn  party,  deemed  it  imperative  that  they 
take  to  their  one  remaining  boat  and  attempt  to  reach 
a  larger  and  firmer  field  of  ice.  This  was  safely  accom- 
plished, though  not  without  great  difficulty  and  extreme 
danger.  Violent  storms  caused  them  great  suffering  and, 
by  preventing  the  capture  of  seals,  brought  them  to  the 
verge  of  starvation. 

On  the  20th  of  April  the  waves  swept  over  the  ice  and 


ic  crew 
iig,  and 
5()n  the 
ken  off, 
JVC  the 
jnly  tlie 
ss,  leav- 
.drift  on 

thrown 

a  rude 

e  stock 

and  an 

nstantly 

used  by 

depress- 

h  lasted 

which 

uxl    the 

p  by  a 

mpara- 

ed,  but 

s,  how- 

n,    the 

it  they 

rcacli 

iccom- 

:treme 

Ito  the 

:e  and 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


497 


carried  away  their  shelter,  together  witii  nearly  all  tiie 
articles  which  they  had  thus  far  been  able  to  save.  Only 
by  the  most  desperate  efforts,  continued  f(jr  tweKe  hours, 
were  they  able  to  keep  the  boat  from  being  washed  away. 
Their  condition  was  now  even  more  pitiable  than  it  had 
previously  been;  but  as  they  were  nearing  the  seal-fishing 
grounds  they  hoped  to  fall  in  with  a  vessel  that  would 
give  them  relief.  On  the  25th  of  April  the  ice  became 
so  insecure  that  they  were  obliged  to  take  to  the  boat. 
A  few  days  later  a  sealing  vessel  was  seen,  but  either  the 
unfortunate  party  were  not  able  to  attract  the  attention  of 
those  on  board  or  else  the  ship  was  unable  to  get  through 
the  ice  which  lay  between  them.  After  this  two  other 
vessels  were  sighted,  but  the  castaways  remained  unseen. 

On  the  30th  of  April  deliverance  came.  Through  a  rift 
in  the  fog  a  steamer  was  seen  near  by.  Signals  from  the 
boat  were  observed  and  the  vessel  went  to  their  relief. 
In  a  short  time  the  almost  famished  party  was  taken  on 
board  the  ship,  which  proved  to  be  the  Tigress,  from 
Newfoundland,  which  was  on  a  cruise  for  seals.  On  the 
12th  of  May  the  rescued  party  reached  St.  John's.  The 
government  sent  a  steamer  for  them,  and  on  the  5th  of 
June  the  people  who  had  been  exposed  to  so  many  perils, 
had  so  many  hairbreadth  escapes,  and  endured  almost 
unparalleled  exposure  and  privation,  arrived  at  Wash- 
ington. 

When  the  Polaris  was  carried  away  from  the  ice  it  liad 
fourteen  persons  on  board.  Information  given  by  the 
party  rescued  from  the  ice  led  the  government  to  fit  and 
send  out  a  vessel  to  find  and  rescue  the  officers  and  crew 
of  the  ship  that  had  so  suddenly  disappeared.  On  the 
14th  of  July,  1873,  the  Tigress,  under  Captain  Greer, 
32 


/ 


1 

! 
I 


!   i 


/^     \ 


m 


ii. 


...I 

'I 


ii; 


«     1 


il 


'•I 


* 

; 

1 

vi 

' 

,'ii  1 

m 

' !'   '         ' 

li 

. 

i" 

! 

•    i 

1          ■   h                                    ■  '.■ 

it; 

|: 

1                                                  ''' 

' 

i-i: 

;f,J 

i 

■ 

II 

,     i 

1 

1 

k. 

'     1 

Ml: 

V 


498 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


sailed  from  New  York  on  this  errand  of  mercy.  She  was 
accompanied  by  the  yu7iiatix,  a  smaller  vessel,  which  car- 
ried supplies  for  the  Tigress  and  which  was  also  designed 
to  aid  in  the  search.  About  the  middle  of  August  the 
Tigress  reached  Littleton  Island,  near  which  the  Polaris 
was  last  seen  by  the  party  that  drift<;d  away  on  the  ice. 
Here  some  Eskimos  were  found  who  said  that  the  day 
after  the  separation  occurred  Captain  Buddington  had 
abandoned  tlie  ship.  With  some  lumber  from  the  vessel 
the  men  had  built  a  house  on  the  shore.  Here  they 
had  spent  the  winter.  Two  boats  were  made,  and  in 
these  the  company  sailed  southward  in  the  spring.  Dur- 
ing a  gale  the  vessel  broke  loose  from  the  ice  in  which  it 
had  been  entangled,  and,  after  drifting  for  a  while,  had 
gone  down  in  the  sea.  Many  articles  that  had  been  left 
at  the  winter  camp  were  secured  by  Captain  Greer. 

The  Juniata  proceeded  to  Newfoundland  and  commu- 
nicated the  facts  to  the  Navy  Department  at  Washing- 
ton. Instructions  to  continue  the  search  were  returned 
and  another  voyage  was  commenced,  but  news  was  soon 
received  from  a  British  vessel  that  the  crew  of  the  Polaris 
had  been  found.  After  the  departure  of  the  Juniata 
Captain  Greer  continued  the  search,  but  finding  no  trace 
of  the  missing  party  sailed  to  New  York,  where  he  learned 
that  Captain  Buddington  and  his  men  had  been  rescued 
by  a  British  whaling  vessel  about  three  weeks  before  the 
relief  voyage  of  the  Tigress  was  commenced.  As  this 
ship  was  not  homeward  bound,  the  men  were  transferred 
to  other  vessels,  and  by  way  of  Scotland  at  length  reached 
New  York.  With  the  exception  of  their  noble  leader, 
Captain  Hall,  every  member  of  the  Polaris  expedition 
reached  home  in  safety.     Many  of  them  had  been  adrift 


I 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


499 


She  was 

lich  car- 

k'signed 

^ust  the 

Polaris 

the  ice. 

the  clay 

;ton  had 

e  vessel 

ere  they 

and    in 

5.     Dur- 

which  it 

lile,  had 

)een  left 

r. 

commu- 

v'ashing- 

•eturned 

as  soon 

Polaris 

^M7iiata 

no  trace 

learned 

rescued 

"ore  the 

s   this 

sferred 

eached 

leader, 

•edition 

adrift 


1 


on  floating  ice  for  one  hundred  and  ninety  days,  and  all 
had  been  exposed  to  the  greatest  dangers  and  had  en- 
dured the  most  terrible  hardships.  Their  preservation 
and  rescue  may  well  be  classed  with  the  miracles  of 
modern  times. 

Dr.  Petermann,  an  eminent  German  geographer,  sent 
out  a  small  vessel  in  186S  to  prosecute  exploration  in  the 
Arctic  seas.  Captain  Koldewey  was  placed  in  command. 
The  crew  numbered  eleven  men.  Great  difficulties  were 
encountered  and  only  meagre  results  were  obtained. 
Soon  after  the  return  of  the  vessel  preparations  were  made 
to  renew  the  work.  Funds  were  secured,  two  ships,  the 
Gcrmania  and  the  Hansa,  were  fitted  out,  and  Captain 
Koldewey  was  appointed  commander.  Several  noted  sci- 
entists accompanied  the  expedition.  The  object  in  view 
was  to  penetrate  to  the  very  centre  of  the  Arctic  regions. 

The  ships  sailed  in  June.  Owing  to  contrary  winds  the 
Arctic  Circle  was  not  crossed  until  the  5th  of  July.  On 
the  20th  of  July,  owing  to  a  misinterpretation  of  signals, 
the  ships  became  separated.  Captain  Hegemann,  of  the 
Hansa,  sailed  away  from,  instead  of  proceeding  toward, 
the  Germania,  as  Captain  Koldewey  intended.  On  the 
14th  of  September  the  Hansa  was  frozen  in.  The  danger 
that  she  would  be  crushed  appeared  so  great  that  a  house 
was  built  upon  the  ice.  This  was  constructed  of  a  patent 
fuel  made  principally  from  coal,  in  the  form  of  bricks,  and 
was  held  together  by  a  mortar  made  of  water  and  snow. 
It  was  twenty  feet  long,  fourteen  feet  wide,  and  eight  and 
one  half  feet  high  at  the  ridije. 

Early  in  October  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  which 
completely  buried  both  the  house  and  the  ship.  On  the 
19th  of  the  month  there  was  a  terrific  gale,  the  pressure 


\W 

• 

\ 

1 

f 

1 
t 

m\\ 

i 

111 

*! 

i: 

I 


!,  I 


m 


ii. 


't! 


i 

\     \ 

500 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  KXPLORATIONS 


of  the  ice  upon  the  vessel  was  increased,  and  a  serious 
leak  was  started.  During  the  night  of  the  21st  of  Octo- 
ber the  ship  went  down.  A  f  arful  winter  was  passed  in 
the  little  house.  Violent  storms  were  frequent  and  the 
cold  was  severe.  The  great  ice  field  ujjon  which  the  men 
were  located  was  drifted  about  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and 
wave.  On  the  7th  of  May  a  place  was  reached  from 
which  there  ajjpeared  to  be  an  open  stretch  of  water  to 
the  shore.  The  boats,  which  had  been  saved  from  the 
ship,  were  launched,  and  after  almost  insuperable  obsta- 
cles had  been  overcome  the  party  reached  land.  Several 
islands  were  visited,  but  it  was  not  until  the  14th  of  June, 
icSyo,  that  the  weary  party  reached  a  human  habitation. 
On  that  date  they  arrived  at  Friedrichsthal,  a  station  of 
the  Moravian  missionaries  on  the  southwestern  coast  of 
Greenland,  and  early  in  September  the  entire  party 
reached  home.  They  had  drifted  more  than  eleven  hun- 
dred miles  on  the  ice,  and  had  been  preserved  through  a 
more  remarkable  series  of  perils  and  misfortunes  than 
almost  any  other  company  of  Arctic  explorers  who 
returned  to  their  native  land. 

After  losing  sight  of  the  Haiisa,  the  Germania  followed 
the  coast  of  Greenland  as  far  north  as  latitude  75°  30', 
but  near  the  middle  of  August  was  obliged  to  turn  to  the 
south.  Winter  was  passed  off  Sabine  Island.  In  the 
spring  various  excursions  were  made  which  resulted  in 
valuable  scientific  and  geographical  discoveries.  Before 
the  work  which  they  hoped  to  accomplish  was  completed, 
a  leak  in  the  engine  boiler  made  it  necessary  for  the  party 
to  return  home.  This  voyage  was  completed  in  Septem- 
ber, 1870. 

In   1872  an  Austro-Hungarian  expedition  was  sent  to 


HER O /L ■  JiAD EA  I 'OA'S 


5o« 


I  serious 
of  Oc to- 
passed  in 

and  the 

the  men 
vind  and 
led  from 

water  to 

from  the 

)le  obsta- 

Several 

of  June, 
abitation. 
station  of 
I  coast  of 
ire  party 
;ven  hun- 
1  rough  a 
ncs  than 
rs    who 

ollowed 

75°  3o\ 

■n  to  the 

In   the 

suited  in 

Before 

mpleted, 

le  party 

Septem- 

sent  to 


the  Arctic  rei^ions.  It  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Payer,  who  iiad  not  only  cHstinguished  himself  in  the 
(ierman  expedition  under  Cai)tain  Koldewey,  but  who 
had  also  made  extensive  explorations  on  his  own  account. 
Cai)tain  Weyprecht,  who  had  accomjjanied  Payer  in  his 
previous  voyayjes,  was  chief  officer  of  the  shi|).  The 
steamer  Tei^cthoff'  w^i^  fitted  out  in  the  best  possible  man- 
ner, and  Captain  Carlsen,  an  experienced  Arctic  voyager, 
was  employed  as  pilot. 

On  the  14th  of  July,  i»S72,  the  voyage  was  commenced. 
Fifteen  days  later  the  coast  of  Nova  Zembla  was  seen. 
At  about  this  time  ice  became  troublesome,  but  the  north- 
ern coast  of  Nova  Zembla  was  rounded  in  safety.  Here 
progress  was  checked  and  the  ship  was  soon  fast  in  the 
ice.  The  dreary  Arctic  winter  now  set  in.  The  sun  was 
absent  one  hundred  and  nine  days.  As  there  was  danger 
that  the  ship  would  be  broken  by  the  ice,  a  hut  was  built 
in  which  to  take  refui^e  in  case  such  an  accident  occurred. 
Much  of  the  time  the  floe  in  which  the  vessel  was  encased 
was  adrift  and  toward  the  end  of  October,  1873,  it  reached 
a  point  within  three  miles  of  an  island  lying  off  a  main- 
land that  had  never  been  explored.  Some  brief  excur- 
sions were  made,  but  the  beginning  of  the  Arctic  night 
soon  made  their  continuance  impossible. 

The  party  were  now  in  a  higher  latitude  than  where 
they  passed  the  preceding  winter,  and  the  sun  did  not 
appear  at  this  point  for  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  days. 
Snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  twelve  feet  and  the  cold  was 
very  severe.  In  March  several  expeditions  were  made 
by  sledge  parties.  During  one  of  these  the  temperature 
dropped  to  fifty-eight  degrees  below  zero.  One  of  the 
men    died    from    lung    disease    aggravated    by    scurvy. 


I? 


i 


ir-fi 


(•: 


(.11 


i 


1      '    I 


I* 


,  I       t 


■''   , 

:!• '' 

( 

*      '"! 

!■■. 

> 

1 

■ 

502 


liAKLIEK  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


Many  of  the  clogs  died  and  others  became  so  weak  as  to 
be  of  little  use  in  the  sledge  teams.  But  in  spite  of  all 
these  obstacles  considerable  was  accomplished  in  the  way 
of  exj)loration.  One  of  the  sledge  parties  reached  a  lati- 
tude of  82°  5'.  In  honor  of  their  sovereign  the  leaders  of 
the  expedition  named  the  country  Franz  Josef  Land. 

There  were  no  indications  that  the  voyage  could  ever 
be  resumed,  and  the  diminished  stock  of  provisions,  to- 
gether with  the  failing  health  of  the  men,  made  it  neces- 
sary to  desert  the  ship.  On  the  20th  of  May,  I1S74,  the 
flags  were  nailed  to  the  mast  and  the  men  took  to  the 
sledges,  upon  which  the  boats  and  some  provisions  had 
been  loaded.  The  deep  snow  made  walking  extremely 
difificult,  and  the  wind  drove  back  the  ice  to  such  an 
extent  that  at  the  close  of  two  months  of  most  arduous 
toil  they  were  less  than  eight  miles  from  the  ship.  On 
the  14th  of  August  they  came  to  open  water,  and  four 
days  later  Nova  Zembla  was  reached,  A  few  days  after- 
ward they  were  taken  off  by  a  Russian  vessel  which 
landed  them  at  Norway  on  the  3d  of  September.  Al- 
though the  explorers  did  not  accomplish  all  that  they 
desired  to  do,  the  scientific  and  geographical  results  of 
their  expedition  were  of  great  value. 

From  1858  to  1878  several  expeditions  to  the  Arctic 
seas  were  sent  out  from  Sweden.  The  expense  was 
borne  in  part  by  the  government,  but  several  individuals 
and  societies  were  large  contributors.  The  earlier  exj:  - 
ditions  were  principally  for  scientific  purposes.  Thev 
resulted  in  the  securing  of  a  vast  amount  of  information 
concerning  the  zoology,  botany,  and  geology  of  the  re- 
gions visited.  Two  of  this  series  of  expeditions  should 
have  special  mention  in  this  narrative.  They  are  the 
ones  which  sailed  in  1872  and  in  1878. 


ni'lK  OH  •  ENDEA I  OJiS 


S°i 


ik  as  to 
e  of  all 
the  way 
d  a  lati- 
adcrs  of 
nd. 

lid  ever 
ons,  to- 
t  neces- 
S74,  the 

to  the 
3ns  had 
tremely 
uch  an 
arduous 
ip.  On 
nd  four 
s  after- 

which 
Al- 
at  they 
ults  of 

Arctic 
le  was 
viduals 
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Thev 
nation 
he  re- 
jhould 
•e   the 


!r 


For  the  expedition  of  1.S72  two  steaniers  and  a  tians- 
port  were  furnished.  Naval  officers  had  command  of  the 
ships,  but  the  expedition  was  under  the  j;eneral  direction 
of  Professor  Nordenskjold,  who  had  made  several  voyaujes 
to  the  North.  The  steamer  Onkcl  Adam  and  the  trans- 
port Gladan  took  out  moss,  coal,  oil,  fifty  reindeer,  and 
the  parts  of  a  dwelling-house  ready  to  be  put  tojjjethcr. 
It  was  designed  that  these  vessels  should  return  in  the 
fall;  while  the  other  steamer,  named  the  yW/ze^w,  was  to 
remain  at  the  North  during  the  winter. 

The  vessels  which  should  have  returned  before  winter 
set  in  were  caught  in  the  ice,  and  were  obliged  to  remain 
with  the  Pol/iem  in  Mussel  Bay,  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Spitzbergen.  This  proved  a  great  disaster,  as  the  main- 
tenance of  the  crews  seriously  reduced  the  quantity  of 
provisions  which  had  been  designed  for  the  j-)arty  on 
board  the  exploring  vessel.  As  illustrating  the  perils  of 
the  Arctic  regions,  it  may  be  stated  that  a  number  of 
fishing  vessels,  with  fifty-eight  men  on  board,  were  also 
frozen  in  at  this  time  off  the  northern  coast.  I'jghteen 
men  took  open  boats  and  succeeded  in  reaching  Ice 
Fjord,  where  a  quantity  of  provisions  had  been  stored. 
Later  in  the  season  two  of  the  ships  got  clear  of  the  ice 
and,  with  the  remaining  men  on  board,  sailed  for  home. 
In  November  a  relief  expedition  was  sent  from  Norway 
for  the  fishermen  who  had  left  the  ships,  but,  owing  to 
severe  cold  and  unfavorable  weather,  it  was  unsuccessful. 
Another  ship  was  sent  out  in  December,  but  was  unable 
to  reach  Spitzbergen.  In  January,  1873,  a  third  vessel 
was  despatched,  but  the  effort  to  find  the  missing  men 
was  a  failure.  It  was  afterward  learned  that  the  house 
was  reached  and  a  quantity  of   food  was  found ;  but  as 


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EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


indicated  by  a  diary  which  they  kept  for  some  time,  tlie 
men  did  not  take  regular  exercise,  and  they  nv  ected  to 
freshen  their  meat.  As  a  consequence  of  these  indiscre- 
tions they  all  fell  victims  to  disease,  and  the  last  of  the 
party  died  before  the  summer  opened. 

The  scientists  connected  with  the  Swedish  expedition 
made  many  important  observations;  and  though  all  their 
reindeer  escaped  soon  after  they  were  landed,  several 
sledge  journeys  were  undertaken  with  dogs.  But  while 
it  accomplished  much  in  some  directions,  the  expedition 
wholly  failed  in  its  principal  object  of  making  a  journey 
on  ice  to  the  Pole. 

The  principal  object  of  the  expedition  of  1S78  was 
the  discovery  of  the  Northeast  Passage.  It  involved  an 
expense  of  ^20,000,  of  which  sum  three  fifths  was  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  Oscar  Dickson,  of  Gothenburg,  and  the 
remainder  by  the  Swedish  Government.  A  screw  steamer 
named  the  Vega,  which  had  been  built  expressly  for  use 
in  the  ice  regions,  was  equipped  in  the  best  possible  man- 
ner, and  Professor  Nordenskjold,  who  had  accompanied 
not  less  than  eight  Arctic  expeditions,  was  placed  in 
charge.  The  whole  force,  including  officers,  scientists, 
and  crew,  numbered  only  thirty  men. 

The  steamer  sailed  on  the  21st  of  July.  She  was 
accompanied  by  the  Lena,  a  small  steamer  which  was 
designed  for  use  on  the  river  of  that  name.  Progress 
was  slow  on  account  of  adverse  winds,  but  Kara  Sea  was 
reached  on  the  ist  of  August,  and  five  days  later  the 
vessels  entered  Dickson  Harbor,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Yenisei  River.  On  the  loth  of  August  the  voyage  was 
resumed.  The  course  was  unobstructed  for  only  two 
days.     Then  large  masses  of  ice  were  encountered,  and 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


S°5 


imc,  tlie 
ectecl  to 
indiscre- 
st  of  the 

:pedition 
all  their 
several 
lit  while 
:pedition 
journey 

878  was 

:)lved  an 

was  fur- 

and  the 

steamer 

for  use 

le  man- 

ipanied 

Lced   in 

:ientists, 

|he  w^as 
ch  was 
rogress 

ea  was 
Iter  the 

of  the 

;e  was 
|ly  two 

d,  and 


A.    E.    NORDENSKJOI.D 


heavy  fogs  made  progress  both  slow  and  dangerous.  The 
difKiculties  and  dangers  of  the  situation  were  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  fact  that  the  Taimyr  Peninsula  lies  farther 
to  the  west  than  had  been  supposed,  and  several  small 
islands  were  discovered  in  what,  according  to  the  then 
existing  charts,  should  have  been  the  direct  course  on 
which  to  sail. 

On  the  19th  of  August  the  northern  extremity  of  Si- 
beria was  reached.  Here  flags  were  raised  and  a  salute 
was  fired.  The  only  party  to  observe  these  demonstra- 
tions was  a  large  white  bear,  and  he  plainly  manifested 
his  disapproval  of  the  proceedings.     The  next  day  the 


I! 


i 


r.o6 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


ships  proceeded  along  the  east  coast  of  the  peninsula. 
A  week  later  they  separated.  The  Lena  sailed  up  the 
river  to  its  destination,  Yakutsk,  which  it  reached  on  the 
2ist  of  September. 

The  progress  of  the  Vega  was  retarded  by  ice,  but 
North  Cape  was  reached  on  the  12th  of  September. 
Here  it  was  detained  for  nearly  a  week.  Several  excur- 
sions were  made  on  the  adjoining  land,  which  led  to  some 
very  interesting  discoveries.  Among  these  were  ruins  of 
the  habitations  of  a  people,  probably  allied  to  the  Eski- 
mos, who  inhabited  this  region  some  hundreds  of  years 
ago.  Fogs  and  ice  caused  constant  trouble,  but  on  the 
27th  of  September  the  east  side  of  Kolintschin  Bay  was 
reached  and  the  vessel  was  anchored.  It  was  fully  ex- 
pected that  the  voyage  would  be  resumed  on  the  next 
day,  but  the  night  was  cold  and  the  numerous  floes  were 
frozen  together  so  firmly  that  they  could  not  be  pene- 
trated. It  was  hoped  that  the  ice  would  soon  break  up, 
but  winds  from  the  north  continued  to  pack  heavy  masses 
along  the  coast,  and  new  ice  was  rapidly  formed  by  the 
increasing  cold.  Before  the  close  of  November  it  was 
evident  that  the  Vega  was  frozen  in  for  the  winter. 

The  ship  was  now  near  the  northern  part  of  Bering 
Strait,  and  only  one  hundred  and  fifteen  miles  from  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Had  this  point  been  reached  one  day 
sooner  the  voyage  could  undoubtedly  have  been  contin- 
ued without  special  difficulty,  and  an  imprisonment  in  the 
ice  for  nearly  ten  months  would  have  been  avoided.  Nei- 
ther would  the  delay  have  occurred  in  an  ordinary  season. 
But  cold  weather  came  unusually  early,  and  navigation 
closed  more  than  two  weeks  before  the  date  up  to  which 
whaling  ships   had,  in  different  years,  been    able  to  get 


; 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


507 


)ntin- 

|n  the 

Nei- 

[ason. 

lation 

^hich 

get 


into  open  water.  During  the  winter  meteorological  and 
magnetic  observations  were  regularly  taken  which  have 
proved  of  great  scientific  interest  and  value.  The  ship 
was  occasionally  visited  by  Eskimos,  of  whom  there  were 
some  two  hundred  livinij  in  the  vicinitv.  The  cold  was 
severe,  but  there  was  no  day  upon  which  the  rays  of  the 
sun  were  not  seen  above  the  horizon. 

On  the  1 8th  of  July,  1879,  after  being  frozen  in  for  two 
hundred  and  ninety-four  days,  the  Vega  got  free  from  the 
ice  and  proceeded  to  Bering  Strait.  Two  days  later  the 
Northeast  Passage,  for  which  Willoughby  commenced 
the  search  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  before,  and 
which  many  others  had  vainly  attempted  to  find,  was 
completed.  Again  the  Swedish  flag  was  raised  and  a 
salute  was  fired.  The  point  had  been  reached  at  which, 
as  Professor  Nordenskjold  expresses  it,  "  the  Old  and  the 
New  World  seem  to  shake  hands."  After  visitinc:  the 
shores  of  Berincf  Strait  the  Ves^a  sailed  for  Yokohama, 
which  port  it  reached  on  the  2d  of  September. 

Omitting  a  description  of  various  minor  expeditions, 
we  must  find  room  for  an  outline  of  an  important  one 
sent  out  by  the  British  Government  in  1875.  The  ob- 
jects of  this  expedition  were  to  reach  the  Pole,  if  possible ; 
to  explore  any  regions  which  might  be  visited,  but  which 
had  not  previously  been  seen  or  described  ;  and  to  obtain 
information  that  would  be  useful  in  forming  plans  for 
further  operations  in  this  direction. 

Two  ships,  the  Alert  and  the  Discovery,  were  fully 
equipped  for  the  purpose  and  were  liberally  supplied 
with  provisions  and  other  necessities.  Captain  Nares 
was  appointed  commander.  The  ships  sailed  on  the  29th 
of  May.     Several  islands   off   the  Greenland  coast  were 


r 


So8 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


i'l: 


«; 


1^ 

Mil. 


visited,  and  a  number  of  dogs  and  two  drivers  were  ob- 
tained. Smith  Sound  was  reached  on  the  29th  of  July, 
and  for  more  than  a  month  the  ships  had  extreme  diffi- 
culty in  passing  through  the  ice  which  almost  constantly 
blocked  their  way. 

The  Discovery  went  into  winter  quarters  at  the  shore 
of  Lady  Franklin  Inlet,  in  latitude  81°  44'.  The  Alert 
pressed  on,  through  a  channel  of  open  water  which  ap- 
peared between  the  ice  and  the  shore,  passed  the  point 
which  the  Polaris  party  had  named  Cape  Union,  and 
entered  what  appeared  to  be  an  open  Polar  Sea.  On  the 
ist  of  September  a  position  was  gained  nearer  the  Pole 
than  any  ship  had  previously  reached,  and  the  white  flag 
was  hoisted  in  celebration  of  the  event.  All  the  indica- 
tions were  favorable  for  further  progress ;  but  the  channel 
soon  ended,  the  wind  changed,  and  the  ship  was  carried 
near  the  shore.  A  comparatively  safe  place  was  reached, 
and  on  the  3d  of  September  the  ship  was  frozen  in.  The 
latitude  was  82°  27'.  In  this  until  then  wholly  unknown 
region  the  party  were  obliged  to  spend  the  winter. 

During  the  autumn  depots  of  provisions  were  estab- 
lished for  the  use  of  sledging  parties  in  the  spring. 
Winter  brought  the  darkness  and  dreariness  which  are 
among  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  Arctic  regions  at 
tins  season  of  the  year.  In  March  the  cold  was  intense. 
On  the  3d  of  that  month  the  therm-ometers  registered  73° 
below  zero,  but  the  following  day  brought  some  compen- 
sation in  the  fact  that  for  a  short  lime  the  sun  was  visible 
above  the  hills.  But  the  cold,  terrible  as  it  was,  proved 
less  trying  than  did  the  sudden  and  violent  changes  in 
temperature,  which  sometimes  amounted  to  sixty  degrees 
within  a  few  hours.     As  they  were  farther  north  than 


vere  ob- 
of  July, 
me  diffi- 
nstantly 

le  shore 
e  Alert 
lich  ap- 
e  point 
on,  and 
On  the 
le  Pole 
ite  flag 
indica- 
:hannel 
carried 
eached, 
.  The 
known 

estab- 
3ring. 
h  are 
Dns  at 
tense. 

npen- 
asible 
roved 
es  in 
grees 
than 


B^ 


HEROIC  ENDEAVORS 


509 


bears,  birds,  or  seals  are  found,  fresh  meat  could  not  be 
obtained.  One  of  the  results  of  this  deprivation  was  the 
prevalence  of  the  scurvy,  from  attacks  of  which  several 
members  of  the  party  died. 

As  early  in  the  spring  as  it  was  practicable,  sledging 
parties  were  sent  out  from  each  of  the  ships.  One  of 
these,  led  by  Commander  Markham  and  Lieutenant  Parr, 
moved  due  north,  with  instructions  to  go  as  far  as  pos- 
sible in  that  direction  and  in  hope  of  reaching  the  Pole ; 
another,  under  Lieutenant  Aldrich,  was  to  pass  to  the 
west,  making  explorations  along  the  American  coast ;  and 
a  third,  led  by  Lieutenant  Beaumont,  of  the  Discovery, 
was  to  move  eastward  along  the  northern  coast  of  Green- 
land. These  expeditions  led  to  many  interesting  dis- 
coveries, some  of  which  were  of  great  value  to  scientists. 
One  of  these  was  the  findinq-  of  the  remains  of  a  (rreat 
evergreen  forest  in  latitude  82°  44',  a  discovery  which 
proves  that  vast  climatic  changes  have  occurred  in  this 
now  desolate  and  barren  region. 

Commander  Markham  and  Lieutenant  Parr  reached  a 
latitude  01  83°  20'  26",  a  point  farther  north  than  any  pre- 
vious explorer  had  reached.  The  enormous  amount  of 
labor  involved  in  this  undertaking  may  be  estimated  from 
the  fact  that  although  this  spot  was  only  seventy-three 
miles,  in  a  straight  course,  from  the  ship,  the  party 
travelled  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  miles  going,  and 
two  hundred  and  forty-five  miles  on  the  return  trip.  The 
journey  was  largely  over  ranges  of  ice  hills,  many  of  them 
twenty  feet  in  height,  through  ravines  filled  with  snow, 
over  or  around  vast  piles  of  broken  ice,  or  on  floes  where 
it  was  necessary  to  use  picks  or  axes  to  make  a  path  over 
which  the  sledge  could  be  drawn.     Add  to  all  this  the 


It 


\\ 


IM 


I 


:»1 


- 1 

i 


$ 


\ 


I' 


I* 


i    . 


S'o 


EARLIER   ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


suffering  and  the  depression  of  the  vital  forces  caused  by 
the  severe  cold  of  the  inhospitable  region,  and  it  hardly 
seems  possible  that  the  human  frame  could  endure  the 
terrible  hardshij^s  to  which  these  resolute  explorers  were 
subjected. 

Lieutenant  Aldrich  and  his  party  explored  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  of  coast  line  of  which  no  chart  had 
previously  been  made.  Lieutenant  Beaumont,  with  his 
company,  made  a  survey  of  the  northern  coast  of  Green- 
land for  a  distance  of  some  seventy  miles.  They  all 
endured  severe  suffering.  Several  of  the  men  were  taken 
ill,  and  their  already  overburdened  companions  had  to 
draw  them  on  sledges  for  long  distances,  and  one  of  the 
Beaumont  party  died  on  the  wviy. 

When  his  men  returned  to  the  Alert,  Captain  Nares 
decided  that  it  was  not  advisable  to  continue  the  work  of 
exploration.  It  w^as  evident  that  at  the  point  which  he 
had  reached  the  ice  firmly  and  permanently  closed  navi- 
gation. Further  attempts  of  sledging  parties  to  reach  the 
Pole,  from  the  place  then  occupied,  would  certainly  result 
in  failure,  would  involve  a  vast  amount  of  suffering,  and 
probably  would  cause  the  loss  of  many  lives.  The  men 
were  already  weakened  by  exposure,  toil,  and  disease.  It 
was  therefore  determined  that  the  expedition  should  not 
remain  there  another  winter. 

It  was  not  till  the  31st  of  July  that  a  passage  through 
the  ice  appeared.  Upon  that  day  the  Alert  commenced 
her  homeward  voyage.  The  ship  was  often  in  great  dan- 
ger from  vast  m.asses  of  floating  ice,  but  it  reached  Lady 
Franklin  Inlet  in  safety  on  the  nth  of  August.  The 
Discovery  was  at  once  put  in  readiness,  but  on  account  of 
the  ice  the  ships  did  not  leave  the  port  until  the  20th  of 


HEROIC  ENDEA  VORS 


51 


•ough 
meed 

dan- 
Lady 

The 
int  of 
)th  of 


the  month.  They  reached  Melville  Bay  on  the  i8th  of 
September,  and  the  Arctic  Circle  was  crossed  on  the  4th 
of  October,  just  fifteen  months  from  the  day  the  ships 
sailed  over  it  when  they  were  outward  bound.  Ice,  and 
storms,  and  adverse  winds  were  encountered,  and  tiiere 
were  some  vexatious  delays ;  but  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1876,  the  vessels  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth. 

Althouiih  numerous  and  earnest  efforts  had  been  made 
to  find  records  of  the  Sir  John  Franklin  expedition,  they 
had,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  paper  discovered  by 
Lieutenant  McClintock,  been  utter  failures.  That  such 
documents  would  be  of  great  value,  both  from  an  histori- 
cal and  a  scientific  point  of  view,  was  evident.  That  they 
were  in  existence,  seemed  probable  from  the  fact  that 
various  parties  of  Eskimos,  from  whom  articles  which  had 
unquestionably  belonged  to  the  unfortunate  party  had 
been  obtained,  told  of  books  and  papers  which  many 
years  before  white  men  had  placed  in  cairns  in  their 
country.  These  rumors  were  repeated,  not  only  by  ex- 
plorers, but  by  the  masters  of  whaling  ships  which  had 
visited  that  region.  Among  the  parties  who  became 
greatly  interested  in  these  reports  was  Lieutenant  Fred- 
erick Schwatka,  of  the  United  States  Army.  Mainly 
through  his  efforts,  an  expedition,  the  expenses  of  which 
were  met  by  private  subscription,  was  organized.  A  ship 
named  the  Eothen  was  obtained  and  fitted  for  service  in 
the  ice,  a  crew  of  twenty-three  men  was  secured,  and 
Schwatka,  who  had  been  granted  leave  of  absence  from 
the  army,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  exploring  party. 
While  the  main  purpose  of  the  expedition  was  to  find  the 
records  of  the  Franklin  party,  there  was  also  the  impor- 
tant secondary  object  of  obtaining  valuable  geographical 
information. 


5'2 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXriORATlONS 


vj 


\  \  su 


V  ,*• 


:'.»l  i 


i^-: 


On  the  19th  of  June,  KS7S,  the  ship  sailed  from  New 
York,  and  on  the  7th  of  August  reached  Rowe's  Wel- 
come Strait,  an  arm  of  Hudson  Bay.  They  were  here 
visited  by  friendly  natives.  Winter  was  spent  on  the 
mainland,  near  Depot  Island,  in  latitude  63°  51'.  The 
reports  of  the  natives  in  regard  to  the  prosjjcct  of  finding 
the  records  in  search  of  which  the  i)arty  had  come  were 
not  encouraging.  One  of  the  visitors  said  that,  long  be- 
fore that  time,  his  father  had  found,  in  a  cairn  on  King 
William  Land,  a  box  containing  a  written  paper ;  but  as 
the  latter  appeared  to  be  of  no  use  to  himself  or  his 
people,  it  had  been  thrown  away.  But  he  also  told  of 
another  cairn  which  had  not  been  opened,  and  of  a  spoon, 
which  had  been  given  to  Captain  Porter,  which  had  un- 
doubtedly been  used  by  the  Europeans  who  had  perished 
in  that  region.  Mr.  Gilder,  who  was  second  officer  of  the 
expedition,  found  Captain  Porter,  who  was  on  a  whaling 
ship  not  far  distant ;  but  the  information  obtained  from 
him  was  most  dish(,'artening. 

Notwithstanding  the  discourau^ements  that  had  been 
met,  it  was  determined  to  prosecute  the  search.  Mr. 
Gilder  visited  an  Eskimo  settlement  more  than  seventy 
miles  away,  to  obtain  -^ome  dogs.  Upon  his  return  a 
great  sledge  journey  was  commenced.  The  Schwatka 
party  was  accompanied  by  thirteen  Innuits,  including 
women  and  children.  The  winter  camp  was  left  on  April 
I,  1879.  The  teams  consisted  of  forty-two  dogs,  and  the 
sledges  were  loaded  with  food  supplies  sufficient  to  last 
for  five  or  six  weeks.  They  proceeded  toward  the  north- 
west, through  a  region  that  had  not  been  explored.  For 
some  time  travel  was  very  slow  and  difficult.  On  the 
15th  of  May  a  party  of  natives  was  found,  and  informa- 


I  New 
Wel- 

;  here 

n    tlie 

Tlie 


KiiiLi: 


from 


HEROJC  ENDEAl  ORS 


S»3 


tion  corroborating  many  of  the  points  learned  by  i)revious 
explorers  was  obtained. 

The  journey  was  continued  to  Back's  River.  Montreal 
Island  was  searched  for  traces  of  the  missing  men,  but 
without  success.  Richardson  Point  was  crossed,  and  a 
party  of  natives  were  met  from  whom  considerable  addi- 
tional information  was  obtained.  On  the  4th  of  June 
Schwatka  and  Gilder  examined  a  cairn  which  had  been 
built  by  Captain  Hall  over  the  remains  of  two  men  of  the 
I-'ranklin  party.  At  a  spot  where  a  party  of  Europeans 
had  encamped,  they  found  many  articles  and  also  an  open 
grave.  A  medal  that  had  been  placed  on  a  stone  at  this 
grave  indicated  that  Lieutenant  Irving,  of  the  Terror,  had 
been  buried  there.  The  skull  and  what  other  bones 
could  be  obtained  were  taken  in  charge,  and  in  due  time 
were  forwarded  to  Irving's  relatives  in  Scotland.  Other 
skeletons  were  found,  but  they  could  not  be  identified,  and 
were  therefore  buried. 

By  the  3d  of  July  the  northern  part  of  King  William 
Land  was  reached,  and  four  days  later  the  party  turned 
toward  the  south.  Travelling  was  exceedingly  difficult. 
Several  cairns  were  found  and  various  places  where  white 
men  had  camped.  At  Erebus  Bay  remains  of  a  boat  and 
numerous  small  articles  were  discovered.  Parts  of  sev- 
eral skeletons  were  also  found  and  interred.  Early  in  the 
autumn  many  reindeer  were  met  with  and  an  abundance 
of  meat  for  immediate  use  was  obtained,  but  by  the  mid- 
dle of  October  these  animals  had  entirely  disappeared. 

After  a  period  of  rest  the  march  was  resumed  on  the 
loth  of  December.  Food  supplies  were  scanty;  and 
when  an  occasional  reindeer  was  obtained  the  flesh  was 
poor,   and   it   was   frozen    as   well   as   raw   when   eaten. 

33 


ii 


w^ 


\ 


i'  i '  11 


t\ 


5'4 


EAKJ.IER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATJONS 


Wolves  were  exceedingly  troublesome,  and  some  of  the 
party  had  narrow  escapes  from  destruction  by  these  fero- 
cious beasts.  Heavy  snow-storms  were  frequent,  and 
often  prevented  progress  a  week  or  more  at  a  time. 
The  cold  W3s  terribly  severe,  the  mean  temperature  for 
January  being  53°  below  zero.  During  the  winter  there 
were  sixteen  days  when  the  thermometer  indicated  a 
temperature  of  68°  below  zero,  and  on  one  day  it  marked 
71°  below.  The  men  endured  fearful  suffering,  and  many 
of  the  dogs  perished.  By  almost  superhuman  exertions 
Depot  Island  was  reached  on  the  4th  of  March.  But  here 
a  terrible  disappointment  awaited  the  almost  exhausted 
party.  The  captain  of  the  Eothen  had  not  delivered  the 
provisions  which  he  had  agreed  to  bring  to  that  point. 
The  only  ship  in  the  region  was  at  Marble  Island.  This 
was  reached  after  a  wearisome  march  which  occuj)ied 
seventeen  days. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  longest  and  most 
remarkable  sledge  journey  hitherto  made.  The  distance 
travelled  was  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty-one 
miles,  and  most  of  the  journey  was  in  not  only  a  desolate, 
but  in  an  entirely  unexplored  region.  The  company  were 
out  during  an  entire  winter,  and  one  which,  according 
to  the  testimony  of  the  natives,  was  of  unusual  severity. 
The  hardship  of  the  journey  was  greatly  increased  by 
the  fact  that  during  most  of  the  long  period  which  it 
occupied  the  entire  food  supplies  for  men  and  dogs  were 
obtained  from  the  scanty  resources  of  the  country  which 
they  traversed.  The  principal  results  of  the  expedition 
were  the  interment  of  the  bones  of  the  crews  of  the 
Erebus  and  the  Terror,  the  acquirement  of  much  valuable 
geographical   information,  and  the  establishment  beyond 


ne  of  the 
lese  fero- 
lent,  and 
a  time, 
■atiire  for 
tor  there 
iicated  a 
t  marked 
nd  many 
exertions 
But  here 
xhausted 
/ered  the 
at  point, 
d.  This 
occLijDied 


l/E/iO/C  ENDEAVOKS  5,5 

a  doubt  that  the  reeords  of  the  unfortunate  Frankhn 
party  had  been  irretrievably  lost.  The  return  voyaere 
was  completed  on  the  22d  of  Septen.ber,  ,880  The 
energy  and  skill  of  Lieutenant  Schvvatka  in  the  conduct 
of  the  enterprise  received  full  recognition  at   home  and 


nd  most 
distance 
fifty-one 
desolate, 
iny  were 
:cording 
severity, 
ased  by 
vhich  it 
>gs  were 
y  which 
pedition 
of   the 
/aluable 
beyond 


If 


"    ; 


h 


•11 


1. 

<< » 

(III 

1             (  r 

I 


ti; 


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ii- 


CHAPTER    XXIX 


(JKKAT    DISASTERS 


In  the  year  1879  Lieutenant  G.  W.  De  Long,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  was  placed  in  command  of  an  expe- 
dition which  had  for  its  principal  object  the  discovery  of 
the  North  Pole.  This  officer  had  served  as  a  subordinate 
on  the  yuniata,  in  its  voyage  in  search  of  Captain  Hall, 
and  was  greatly  interested  in  the  subject  of  Arctic  exj)lo- 
ration.  At  his  earnest  solicitation  Mr.  James  Gordon 
Bennett,  of  the  "  New  York  Herald,"  purchased  and 
fitted  out  a  ship,  which  was  named  the  Jeannettey  and 
which,  for  the  purpose  tf  exploring  the  Arctic  regions, 
was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  United  S'  tes  Gov- 
ernment. Lieutenant  Chipp  was  appointed  executive 
officer ;  Lieutenant  John  W.  Danenhower,  master ;  and 
George  W.  Melville,  engineer,  —  all  belonging  to  the 
navy.  Unfortunately,  the  Bering  Strait  route  was  se- 
lected. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1879,  the  Jea^inette  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  with  thirty-two  persons  on  board.  Progress 
was  slow,  as  the  winds  were  unfavorable  and  the  ship  was 
heavily  loaded.  At  St.  Michael's,  Alaska,  forty  dogs  were 
obtained,  and  some  Indians  were  employed  to  go  with  the 
expedition  as  drivers  and  hunters.  According  to  gov- 
ernment instructions,  search  was  made  for  Professor  Nor- 
denskjold,  who  was  known  to  have  started  on  a  voyage  of 
exploration  with  a  view  to  obtaining  information  and  also 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


5 '7 


gov- 

Nor- 

ige  of 

also 


to  render  assistance  if  necessary.  On  the  last  clay  of 
August  it  was  learned  that  the  Vega^  Nordenskjiild's  siiij), 
had  passed  the  winter  in  the  bay  which  the  Jeannetlc  had 
reached,  and  had  since  sailed  to  the  south. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  proceed  to  VVrangell  Land, 
but  in  less  than  a  week  progress  was  stopped  by  ice.  On 
the  Sth  of  September  there 
was  a  desperate  effort  to 
force  a  way  to  Herald 
Island,  but  only  a  little 
headway  was  made.  A 
few  days  later  a  party  with 
dogs  and  a  sled  proceeded 
to  the  island,  in  hope  of 
finding  a  harbor,  and  also 
of  securing  some  drift  wood 
for  fuel,  but  it  was  unsuc- 
cessful. 

The  ship  had  been 
heeled  over  some  five  de- 
grees, and  in  this  position 
was  firmly  held  in  the  ice. 
It  drifted,  with  the  floe,  in  various  directions,  sometimes 
out  to  sea  and  at  others  within  sight  of  land.  During  the 
first  half  of  November  large  cracks  appeared  in  the  floe 
and  huge  masses  of  ice  were  thrown  near  the  ship,  which 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed.  On  the  24th 
of  the  month  the  ship  got  afloat,  and  in  a  few  days  it 
was  sent  adrift  in  a  gale,  but  was  soon  frozen  in  again. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  Lieutenant  Danenhower 
was  disabled  by  an  affection  of  one  of  his  eyes,  and  for  a 
long  period  was  obliged  to  remain  in  a  darkened  room. 


LIKUT.    O.    W.    I)K    !,ON(;,    I'.    S.    N. 


(,■•■ 


Si8 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


.    1. 


II) 


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«'    i 


'i  he  ship  was  in  constant  peril  from  the  ice,  and  on  the 
19th  of  January  the  fore-foot  was  broken,  and  it  com- 
menced to  leak  badly.  The  deck  pumps  were  put  in  o 
immediate  use,  and  as  soon  as  was  possible  the  steam 
pump  was  started.  Attempts  to  fill  the  cracks  somewhat 
diminished,  but  did  not  nearly  stop,  the  inflow  of  water. 

Early  in  June  De  Long  had  strong  hopes  that  the 
voyage  could  soon  be  resumed,  but  the  ship  did  not  get 
free  of  the  ice,  and  of  course  continued  to  drift.  Fogs 
and  storms  were  frequent,  and  there  was  constant  danger. 
It  was  not  till  the  ist  of  September  that  a  shift  occurred 
which  brought  the  ship  on  an  even  keel.  It  was  still 
fast  in  the  ice,  and  efforts  to  release  it  resulted  in  in- 
creasing the  already  dangerous  leak.  It  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  the  ship  would  not  get  clear  until  after  another 
winter  at  least.  It  had  drifted  over  an  immense  area, 
sometimes  in  straight  lines  but  often  in  circles,  —  and  it 
seemed  destined  to  continue  this  erratic  course  indefi- 
nitely. 

On  the  1 6th  of  May,  1881,  land  v/as  seen,  the  first  for 
fourteen  months.  This  was  an  island,  and  the  ship  drifted 
past  it  on  the  following  day.  It  was  named,  in  honor  of 
the  ship,  Jeannette  Island.  On  the  24th  of  the  month  an- 
other island  was  sighted.  This  was  visited  early  in  June 
by  Engineer  Melville  and  several  other  members  of  the 
party.  It  was  named  Henrietta  Island,  and  was  formally 
taken  possession  of  in  the  name  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  12th  of  June  the  floe  split  in  pieces  and  the 
ship  was  set  free,  but  floating  masses  of  ice  pressed  upon 
it  and  its  bows  were  raised  in  the  air.  De  Long  gave 
orders  to  remove  the  chronometers,  rifles,  and  other  indis- 
pensable articles  to  the  ice  and  prepare  to  leave  the  ship. 


on  the 
it  com- 
3ut  in  o 
e  steam 
mewhat 
'ater. 
hat  the 
not  cret 

o 

Fogs 
dana:er. 
ccurred 
^as  still 
I  in  in- 
me  evi- 
mother 
e  area, 
•and  it 
indefi- 

st  for 
drifted 
)nor  of 
ith  an- 
June 
Df  the 

mally 

3. 

d  the 
upon 
gave 

indis- 
ship. 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


5 '9 


At  about  eleven  o'clock  that  nit^ht  the  boats  were  lowered 
and  the  men  formed  a  camp  on  one  of  the  portions  of 
the  broken  floe.  At  four  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June 
13,  1 88 1,  the  masses  of  ice  which  had  held  it  fast  sepa- 
rated, and  the  ship  went  down. 

Several  of  the  ship's  company  were  ill,  and  the  surgeon 
advised  a  brief  period  of  rest.  On  the  17th  of  June,  at 
6  p.  M.,  the  retreat  toward  the  south  commenced.  The 
company  travelled  at  night,  in  order  to  escape  the  blinding 
glare  of  the  sun  upon  the  snow.  They  had  three  boats, 
nine  sleds,  a  large  quantity  of  pemmican,  and  a  fair  supply 
of  ammunition.  The  men  were  harnessed  to  the  sleds. 
On  account  of  the  large  quantity  of  material,  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  go  over  the  same  ground  several  times.  The 
snow  was  deep  and  the  toil  was  exhausting.  After  a 
week  of  this  wearying  labor,  observations  by  the  officer 
showed  that  not  only  had  no  progress  been  made,  but  that 
the  drift  to  the  northwest  had  been  twenty-seven  miles 
farther  than  their  advance  to  the  south.  Toward  the 
close  of  the  month  the  conditions  improved,  and  some 
progress  was  made  in  the  direction  in  which  they  desired 
to  go. 

On  the  iith  of  July  Bennett  Island  was  discovered. 
On  the  28th  of  the  month  a  landing  was  effected,  a  flag 
was  unfurled,  and  the  party  took  possession  in  behalf  of 
the  United  States.  Here  they  camped  for  several  days. 
On  the  6th  of  August  the  party  took  to  the  boats.  Of 
these  the  larger  cutter  was  commanded  by  De  Lon^,  the 
smaller  cutter  by  Lieutenant  Chipp,  and  the  whale-boat 
by  Engineer  Melville,  On  the  nth  of  September  the 
men  landed  on  an  island  off  the  Asiatic  coast,  and  a 
hunting  party  was  sent    out.      The  next    morning  they 


r 


I 


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S20 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


P'i 


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I 


1  i  ''^" 


;;;.H 

I 

1 

1 1 

.    I' 

KH 


left  the  camp  and  proceeded  on  their  course  toward  the 
southwest.  For  several  hours  the  boats  kept  near  to- 
gether ;  but  a  gale  came  up  in  the  afternoon,  and  early  in 


li^ 


From  Melville's  "  In  the  Lena  Delta."     By  the  permission  of  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co. 

the  evening  they  were  separated,  never  to  be  brought  near 
each  other  again. 

The  whale-boat  was  brought  into  one  of  the  mouths  of 
the  Lena  River.  The  men  were  almost  exhausted,  but 
by  the  help  of  a  native  pilot  they  worked  up  the  river  to  a 
village,  where  they  waited  for  the  ice  to  form  so  they  could 
proceed  with  sleds.  A  Russian  exile  went  to  Bulun  to 
notify  the  authorities.     Lieutenant   Danenhower  made  a 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


52t 


near 

ms  of 
[,  but 
to  a 
:ouid 
[n  to 
Ide  a 


search  with  a  dog  team  for  the  other  boats,  but  no  trace 
of  them  was  found. 

On  the  29th  of  October  word  was  received  that  a  party 
of  natives  had  met  two  sailors  of  the  De  Lon<>-  boat  and 
were  taking  them  to  Bulun.  The  sailors  had  sent  a  note 
to  the  effect  that  Ue  Long  and  the  remainder  of  his  party 
were  in  a  starving  condition.  With  one  native  and  a 
team  of  dogs  Engineer  Melville  went  at  once  to  learn  the 
location  of  De  Lonu:  and  ijive  him  relief.  Lieutenant 
Danenhower  took  charge  of  the  remainder  of  the  party 
and  went  to  Bulun.  He  then  followed  Melville  to  aid  in 
the  search  for  the  missing  men.  At  Yakutsk  a  dispatch 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  received.  This  di- 
rected that  the  invalid  and  frozen  members  of  the  party 
be  removed  to  a  warmer  locality.  Danenhower  and  his 
party  went  to  Irkoutsk.  From  this  point  the  lieutenant 
telegraphed  for  permission  to  renew  the  search,  but  op. 
account  of  the  condition  of  his  health  the  request  was  not 
granted.  He  therefore  returned  home,  reaching  New 
York,  with  three  of  his  men,  on  the  ist  of  June.  With 
the  exception  of  an  Indian,  who  had  died  of  the  smallpox 
in  Russia,  the  remainder  of  the  whale-boat  crew  and  the 
two  men  whom  De  Long  had  sent  forward  for  relief  were 
all  in  thf  United  States  early  in  1882.  One  of  the  mem- 
bers, however,  had  become  insane  and  was  placed  in  a 
government  institution  for  that  unfortunate  class. 

The  history  of  the  De  Long  party  and  their  terrible 
fate  was  fully  learned  from  the  journal  in  which  the 
leader  made  frequent  entries  up  to  almost  the  hour  of  his 
death,  and  from  the  testimony  of  the  two  men  who  were 
saved.  On  the  fifth  day  after  the  separation,  their  boat 
was  driven  upon  the  ground.     Most  of  its  contents  were 


I 


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m- 


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I 


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522 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


taken  on  shore,  and  preparations  were  made  to  walk  to 
what  was  supposed  to  be  the  nearest  settlement,  about 
ninety-five  miles  away.  The  journey  was  commenced 
September  19.  The  walking  was  extremely  hard,  the 
loads  were  heavy,  and  the  men  were  feeble  from  their 
exposure  and  sufferings  in  the  boat.  An  occasional  rein- 
deer was  killed,  which  eked  out  their  scanty  supplies  of 
provisions.  On  the  3d  of  October  there  was  nothing  to 
eat,  and  the  last  dog  was  killed  for  food.  A  few  days 
later,  one  of  the  men,  who  had  been  badly  frost-bitten  and 
very  ill  for  some  time,  died.  As  the  party  had  nothing 
with  which  to  dig  a  grave,  the  body  was  buried  in  the 
river.  On  the  9th  the  two  men  who  finally  reached 
home  were  sent  in  advance,  to  obtain  relief  if  possible. 
On  the  loth  the  De  Long  party  had  nothing  to  eat  but 
deer-skin  scraps.  On  the  17th  one  of  the  men  died,  and 
at  midniojht  of  the  21st  another  was  found  dead.  Part  of 
divine  service  was  read  on  Sunday  the  23d.  Upon  some 
days  no  entry  was  made.  Upon  others  the  death  of  one 
or  more  members  of  the  party  was  recorded.  The  last 
entry  was  dated  Sunday,  October  30.  It  states  that  two 
men  had  died  during  the  night  and  that  another  was 
dying.  This  left  De  Long,  the  surgeon,  and  one  sailor, 
all  of  whom  must  have  died  soon  after  the  record  last 
named  was  made. 

The  two  seamen  sent  on  by  De  Long  endured  the 
most  terrible  sufferings  before  they  were  rescued  by  some 
friendly  natives.  Life  was  sustained  by  eating  their  boot 
soles,  burned  bones,  and  pieces  of  their  seal-skin  clothes, 
in  addition  to  a  bird  and  an  occasional  fish.  The  natives 
took  them  to  Bulun.  A  telegram  was  sent  to  Engineer 
Melville,  who    reached   there   on    the    3d   of   November. 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


m 


3d  the 
some 
Ir  boot 
Rothes, 
natives 
jineer 
jmber. 


After  learning  the  direction  in  which  I)e  Long  had  pro- 
ceeded, he  started  for  the  Lena  Delta.  He  obtained  rec- 
ords from  native  hunters  which  enabled  him  to  find  the 
log-books  and  other  articles  which  had  been  left  on  the 
shore.  A  long  search,  entailing  great  suffering,  proved 
unavailing.  As  it  was  certain  that  the  missing  party  had 
perished,  and  that  nothing  more  could  be  done  until  a 
more  favorable  season  opened  and  further  supplies  were 
obtained,  Melville  proceeded  to  Yakutsk. 

Early  in  spring  the  search  was  resumed,  and  on  the  23d 
of  March,  1882,  the  last  camp  of  the  party  was  found  and 
the  bodies  of  ten  of  the  men  who  had  died  at  that  point. 
One  of  the  men,  as  De  Long's  journal  stated,  had  died 
in  a  boat,  and  the  body  had  probably  been  swept  into  the 
river  near  which  the  camp  was  formed.  A  tomb  was 
erected  on  a  bluff,  and  the  bodies,  in  a  box  which  had 
been  made  for  the  purpose,  were  placed  therein.  A 
cross,  twenty-two  feet  high,  was  erected.  Upon  this  cross 
was  the  following  inscription:  "  In  Memory  of  12  of  The 
Officers  And  Men  of  The  Arctic  Steamer  JeannettCy  who 
Died  of  Starvation  In  The  Lena  Delta,  October,  188 1," 
This  was  followed  by  the  names  of  the  men  who  met  this 
terrible  fate.  A.^^terward  caskets  were  sent  to  Siberia,  and 
the  bodies  were  brought  to  the  United  States. 

After  the  separation  of  the  boats  in  the  gale  of  the  1 2th 
of  September,  Lieutenant  Chipp  and  his  party  were  never 
seen.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  frail  craft,  with  all 
on  board,  was  engulfed  in  the  sea. 

As  whalinsf  vessels  returnino^  from  the  North  Pacific  in 
1879  brought  no  news  of  the  yeannette,  and  two  ships  of 
the  whaling  fleet  which  had  been  near  where  the  explor- 
ing vessel  was  to  go  did  not  come  back,  the  government 


w 

I' 

I- . 

i 

j 

i 

I    ! 


;:rl 


fi 


i 


i 


III!  1 
1.1 


524 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


sent  out  the  steamer  Corwiii  to  look  after  the  seal  fish- 
eries in  Alaskan  waters  and  also  to  search  for  the  missing 
vessels.  The  Corwin  sailed  from  San  Francisco  in  May, 
1880,  and  returned  the  following  October.  No  trace  of 
{he  vessels  was  found.  In  1881  the  government  sent  out 
three  ships  on  the  same  errand.  One  of  these  was  the 
Corwin,  which  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  the  4th  of 
May  and  again  returned  in  October.  Evidence  was  ob- 
tained that  the  two  whaling  ships  had  been  wrecked  and 
their  crews  had  perished. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June  the  Rodgers  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  for  Bering  Strait.  While  in  St.  Lawrence 
Bay,  late  in  November,  the  ship  was  burned.  The  oflfi- 
cers  and  crew  were  relieved  by  a  whaling  vessel.  The 
steamer  Alliance  was  sent  to  search  between  Greenland 
and  Iceland,  and  along  the  coast  of  Norway  and  Spitzber- 
gen  She  left  Hampton  Roads  on  the  i6th  of  June  and 
reached  New  York,  on  the  return  trip,  on  the  iith  of 
November.  Although  none  of  these  expeditions  found 
traces  of  the  Jeannette,  a  great  amount  of  geographical 
and  scientific  knowledge  was  obtained. 

In  carrying  out  its  part  in  an  international  plan  for  tak- 
ing observations  in  the  Arctic  regions,  the  United  States 
established,  in  1881,  two  stations.  One  of  these  was 
located  at  Ooglaamie,  near  Point  Barrow,  in  Alaska. 
The  expedition  was  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Ray,  of  the 
army,  who  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  the  i8th  of 
July,  and  reached  his  destination  earh  in  September. 
This  party  was  recalled  by  an  act  c£  Congress,  and 
reached  San  Francisco  on  the  2d  of  Occober,  1883. 

The  other  expedition  had  a  terrible  experience.  It 
was   sent  to  establish  a  station  near  Lady  Franklin   Bay. 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


525 


The  objects  in  view  were  the  making  of  explorations, 
the  collection  of  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  specimens, 
and  the  taking  of  meteorological,  magnetic,  and  other 
observations  in  accordance  with  the  plan  adopted  by 
the  International  Conference,  to  which  the  establisiiment 
of  this  station  and  the  one  in  Alaska  was  due. 

Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  of  the  army,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  party,  which  consisted  of  twenty-three  men. 
Two  Eskimos  joined  it  at  Upernavik.  Very  minute  di- 
rections as  to  the  work  to  be  done,  and  the  course  to  be 
pursued,  were  given  by  the  government.  A  ship  was  to 
be  sent  each  year  with  supplies,  and  depots  of  provisions 
were  to  be  established  at  specified  points.  If  the  ships 
did  not  reach  the  station,  Greely  was  to  commence  a 
retreat  not  later  than  September  i,  i^SS^. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  1881,  the  party  sailed  from  St. 
John's,  Newfoundland,  in  the  Proteus,  a  steamer  which 
had  been  chartered  for  the  purpose.  At  various  points 
stops  were  made  to  procure  dogs,  obtain  additional  sup- 
plies, establish  depots  of  provisions,  and  complete  prepa- 
rations for  a  long  sojourn  in  a  desolate  land. 

Littleton  Island  was  reached  on  the  2d  of  Auijust. 
Two  days  later,  when  only  eight  miles  from  the  place  of 
destination,  progress  was  checked  by  ice.  During  the 
next  few  days  the  ship  was  driven  back  forty-five  miles. 
On  the  loth  the  wind  changed,  and  the  next  day  the  ship 
crossed  Lady  Franklin  Bay.  It  was  decided  to  locate 
where  the  English  vessel,  the  Discovery,  of  the  1875  expe- 
dition, had  wintered.  With  great  difficulty  a  passage  was 
forced  through  the  ice  which  had  formed  in  the  harbor. 
At  a  point  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  shore  the 
ship  anchored,    and    the   work    of    unloading   was   com- 


>     IJ 


:'1 


Mwr 


Sa6  EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 

menced.  A  house  was  constructed,  and  the  station  was 
named  Fort  Conger.  After  a  delay  of  several  days,  occa- 
sioned by  ice  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  the  steamer 
started  on  her  return  voyage,  which  was  made  in  safety. 
Two  of  the  party,  who  did  not  appear  able  to  endure  the 
hardships  of  the  service,  returned  in  the  ship. 

In  accordance  with  the  arrangement  made  when  Greely 
was  sent  out,  a  vessel  was  despatched  with  supplies  in 
1882.  This  was  the  Neptune,  which  sailed  from  St. 
John's  on  the  8th  of  July,  with  William  M.  Beebe,  a  pri- 
vate in  the  general  service,  in  charge.  On  account  of  ice 
and  storms  the  station  was  not  reached.  Provisions  were 
stored  at  various  points  and  the  ship  returned. 

In  1883  the  government  sent  out  two  ships,  the  Pro- 
teus and  the  Yantic,  with  supplies  for  Greely  and  his 
party.  This  expedition  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Garlington,  of  the  army.  The  Proteus,  in  which  Gar- 
lington  sailed,  was  a  strong  vessel  well  fitted  for  service  in 
the  ice.  The  Vantic,  with  Commander  Wildes  in  charge, 
was  a  much  smaller,  weaker,  and  slower  craft. 

The  expedition  left  St.  John's  on  the  29th  of  June. 
Godhavn  was  reached  in  safety.  The  Yantic  was  obliged 
to  stay  a  few  days  for  necessary  repairs,  and  was  then  to 
go  to  Waigat  Strait  for  coal.  As  soon  as  the  weather 
permitted,  the  Proteus  resumed  the  voyage,  but  soon 
encountered  ice,  was  compelled  to  head  toward  the 
south,  and  was  repeatedly  turned  from  a  direct  course. 
At  length  Cape  Sabine  was  reached,  and  the  ship  was 
anchored  in  Payer  Harbor.  Here  the  party  remained 
four  and  a  half  hours.  Whether  the  instructions  were  too 
indefinite,  were  misunderstood,  or  the  commander  of  the 
expedition  did  not  realize  the  vast  importance  of  leaving 


GREAT  DISASTERS 


527 


a  full  supply  of  provisions  at  this  point,  which  Greely  and 
his  men  were  almost  sure  to  visit  two  months  later  if  the 
ship  failed  to  reach  Lady  Franklin  Hay,  cannot  be  told, 
but  the  opportunity  for  leaving  sujjplies  was  not  improved. 
Two  small  depots  of  provisions  which  had  been  formed  by 
preceding  parties  were  visited,  and  one  of  them  was  re- 
paired. Various  magnetic  and  other  observations  were 
taken,  and  the  work  of  the  expedition  at  this  point  was 
closed. 

As  the  ice-pack  appeared  to  have  broken,  the  voyage 
was  resumed  in  the  evening.  After  proceeding  about 
twenty  miles,  ice  was  again  encountered.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  23d  of  July  the  situation  was  so  perilous  that 
an  effort  was  made  to  return  to  the  south  ;  but  in  the 
afternoon  the  ship  was  hemmed  in,  and  before  nightfall  it 
was  crushed  by  enormous  masses  of  ice.  Early  in  the 
evening  a  change  in  the  tide  caused  a  movement  of  the 
ice  which  relieved  the  pressure,  and  the  ship  at  once 
went  down. 

When  it  became  evident  that  the  ship  would  be 
wrecked,  the  boats  and  a  quantity  of  provisions  were 
taken  out.  After  the  Profeus  went  down  the  crew  took 
three  of  the  boats  and  the  relief  party  the  other  two.  A 
small  quantity  of  provisions  and  a  few  other  stores  were 
landed  near  Cape  Sabine.  One  party,  under  Lieutenant 
Colwell,  who  had  accompanied  the  expedition  as  a  volun- 
teer, and  had  taken  charge  of  the  meteorological  work, 
but  who  was  not  in  authority,  sailed  across  Melville  Bay 
in  hope  of  finding  the  Yantic.  After  being  in  their  boat 
thirty-eight  days,  exposed  to  cold,  encountering  ice  and 
tremendous  gales,  and  covering  a  distance  of  eight  hun- 
dred miles,  the  weary  party  arrived  at  Disco,  where,  to 


ij 


528 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


^•7 


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their  inexpressible  relief,  they  found  the  ship.  CiaHingtoii 
and  his  party,  including  the  crew  of  the  Proteus,  had  kept 
along  the  shore  and  reached  Upernavik  on  the  24th  of 
August,  only  two  days  after  the  Y antic  had  left  that  port 
for  fear  of  being  frozen  in.  Immediately  upon  the  arrival 
of  Lieutenant  Colwell,  the  Vantic  returned  to  Upernavik, 
took  Garlington  and  his  men  on  board,  and  sailed  for 
St.  John's,  where  it  arrived  on  the  13th  of  September. 

The  season  was  so  far  advanced  that  it  would  be  worse 
than  useless  to  make  further  attempts  to  relieve  Greely 
that  year,  but  the  government  soon  commenced  prepara- 
tions for  sending  an  expedition  at  the  earliest  moment  it 
would  be  possible  to  enter  the  Arctic  Sea.  Two  ships, 
the  Thetis  and  the  Bear,  were  purchased  ;  and  the  Alert, 
which  had  been  used  by  Captain  Nares  in  the  ex})edition 
of  1875,  was  donated  for  the  purpose  by  ihe  British  Gov- 
ernment. A  steamer,  the  Loch  Garry,  was  chartered  at 
St.  John's  to  carry  a  supply  of  coal  to  Littleton  Island. 

Commander  W.  S.  Schley,  of  the  navy,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  this  expedition.  The  ships  were  fully  equipped, 
and  ofificers  were  chosen  and  crews  selected  with  great 
care.  Provisions  were  taken  for  two  years.  To  induce 
owners  of  whaling  vessels  to  interest  themselves  in  the 
case,  Congress  offered  a  reward  of  $25,000  for  the  rescue 
of  the  Greely  expedition  or  conclusive  information  regard- 
ing its  fate. 

On  the  24th  of  April,  1884,  the  Bear  sailed  from  New 
York.  On  May  i  the  Thetis  left  the  same  po  t,  and  the 
Alert  followed  on  May  10.  The  advance  ships,  the 
Thetis  and  the  Bear,  had  much  trouble  with  ice  in  Mel- 
ville Bay,  but  succeeded  in  reaching  Littleton  Island  — 
the  Thetis  on  the  21st,  and  the  Bear  c  1  the  22d  of  June. 


GKEA  T  DISASTERS 


529 


iMiicliiig  that  Grcely  had  not  reached  the  island,  the 
ships  at  once  proceeded  toward  Cape  Sabine.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  2  2d  tliey  were  stopped  by  ice. 
Several  parties  were  sent  ashore,  one  of  which  soon  dis- 
covered records  of  the  niissinuj  explorers.  The  latest  of 
these  was  dated  October  21,  F8S3,  and  stated  that  full 
rations  for  only  forty  days  remained.  There  seemed  to 
be  hardly  a  possibility  that  any  of  the  party  could  have 
survived.  Lieutenant  Colwell,  with  a  few  others,  pushed 
forward  in  a  cutter,  followed  as  soon  as  ix)ssible  by  the 
ships,  to  the  site  of  the  Greely  camp,  as  stated  in  the 
pajjers  that  had  been  found.  This  was  about  five  miles 
west  of  Cape  Sabine.  Fortunately,  the  wind  had  driven 
the  ice  from  the  shore,  thus  giving  a  free  course. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  Colwell  and  his 
party  reached  the  camp.  Here  Greely  and  six  of  his 
men  were  found.  The  others  had  perished.  All  the  sur- 
vivors were  feeble ;  and  several,  including  Grcely,  were 
almost  at  the  point  of  death.  They  were  given  restora- 
tives and  a  little  food,  and,  when  somewhat  revived,  were 
taken  aboard  the  ships.  The  bodies  of  thirteen  of  the 
dead  were  recovered.  Of  these,  one,  an  Eskimo,  was 
buried  at  Disco.  The  other  twelve  were  taken  to  the 
United  States.  Five  bodies  that  had  been  buried  at  the 
camp  had  been  swept  into  the  sea.  Besides  the  seventeen 
men  who  had  died  of  starvation,  one  had  been  drowned 
while  endeavoring  to  procure  food,  and  one  who  was 
rescued  had  been  so  badly  frost-bitten,  and  was  so 
reduced  by  exposure  and  want  of  food,  that  he  died  on 
the  homeward  journey. 

Greely  and  his  men  abandoned  Fort  Conger  August 
9,  1883,  were  adrift  on  ice  for  thirty  days,  and  were  com- 

34 


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<    '    |! 


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■A 


H' 


5.^0 


EARLIER  ARCTIC  EXPLORATIONS 


jiellccl  to  abandon  their  boats  before  tlicy  reached  the 
spot  where  the  final  camp  was  made,  and  where  they 
remained  from  October  21,  1883,  until  June  22,  1884. 
During  the  winter  gales  were  numerous,  and  great  quan- 
tities of  ice  were  driven  through  the  channel,  thus  pre- 
venting its  freezing  over  and  thereby  cutting  off  the  party 
from  thi!  supplies  of  food  which  were  stored  on  Littleton 
Island. 

The  T/ictis,  Bear,  and  Loch  Garry  reached  St.  John's 
on  July  17,  1884,  and  the  Alert  arrived  on  the  following 
day.  About  a  week  later  the  three  vessels  which  be- 
longed to  the  government  sailed  for  I\)rtsmouth,  New 
Hamj)shire,  where  they  arrived  on  the  ist  of  August. 
Here  the  party  was  received  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  and  other  prominent  officials,  and  a  public  recep- 
tion Vv'as  given.  On  the  8th  of  August  the  sliips  reached 
New  York.  Officers  of  the  army  and  navy  were  pres- 
ent, and  the  relief  expedition  was  received  with  imposing 
ceremonies. 

While  the  station  was  maintained  at  Fort  Conger  much 
was  done  in  the  way  of  exploration,  and  some  valuable 
discoveries  were  made.  A  party  under  Lieutenant 
Lockwood  reached  latitude  83°  24',  a  point  farther  north 
than  had  been  gained  by  civilized  man,  and  which  was 
not  again  attained  until  the  intrepid  Nansen  made  his 
splendid  effort  to  reacli  the  Pole. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  many  of  the  principal 
expeditions  to  the  Arctic  regions,  from  the  time  of  the 
early  sea  rovers,  who  were  animated  by  the  spirit  of 
adventure  as  well  as  by  curiosity,  down  to  the  return  of 
the  survivors  of  the  Gieely  party,  which  went  out  in  the 
interests  of  science  and  discovery.    The  daring  deeds  and 


I 


hcd  the 
;re  they 
2,  1884. 
it  quan- 
lus  pre- 
le  party 
-ittleton 

John's 
Ilowing 
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ll, New 
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of  the 
recep- 
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e  pres- 
iposi  ng 

r  much 
aluable 
(tenant 
north 
:h  was 
de  his 


GREAT  DAs.ism/is 

aclm^cment.     The  world  does  u-ell  .0  Co'     I ''"'"" 
'vho  have  done  so  mucn  to  extend  \t  "''' 

it  a  knowledge  of  ^^  1^  T ^""T-  '''""' ^'^ 
■•egions,    whid,,    but   fo,        "'X      "'"  ^r  "'  "^' 


inci'pal 
of  the 
irit  of 
urn  of 
in  the 
Is  and 


